Whether you want to double your living space, replace a heating system or make simple cosmetic changes, if you love your house’s architectural details then read this book before starting your project. The editor of Old-House Journal teams with an award-winning preservationist for fabulous period residences that have old-world character but still function as family homes. After all, that 60-year-old plumbing has to do more than just look charming. “Richly illustrated with color photos, plans, and drawings”

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 Can it, bottle it, smoke it : and other kitchen projects

“The eagerly anticipated follow-up to Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It offers more ideas for adventurous culinary DIYers to stock the larder with artisan food and drink, kitchen staples, tasty snacks, and gift-worthy eats. Want to make your own Plum Catsup (can it!), Strawberry Black Pepper Soda (bottle it!), and Chipotles in adobo (smoke it!)? Join food writer Karen Solomon in the culinary revolution that has changed the way people think about the boxed and jarred food on the grocery shelf, by trying these recipes and techniques for making homemade jams, relishes, pickles, bagels, popsicles, muesli, chips, pastrami, smoked nuts, sauces, syrups, and much more. Perfect for people who want to eat organic, local, and sustainable without giving up favorites like pretzels and sodas, this book will have weekend warriors whipping up mouthwatering foodstuffs for their pantries –and their friends–in no time”–

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A perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life : how to live creatively with collections, clutter, work, kids, pets, art, etc.– and stop worrying about everything being perfectly in its place

June 6, 2011

Carter, Mary Randolph.

New York : Rizzoli International Publications : Distributed by Random House, 2010.

“How to make your house a home filled with comfort, ambience, informality, personality, and a welcoming spirit– while living beautifully with all the things you love”.  For all those who choose to live with the messy things they love, this book shows how to do so creatively, happily, and with considerable style ideas. If you have been influenced by the art- and book-filled house of Vanessa Bell, this unique style book will stimulate you with its creative ideas. This volume explores how real-life tastemakers (photographers, textile designers, fashion designers, writers, artists) integrate their life and interiors to live well with their passions, histories, conveniences, and inconveniences. Combining practical tips with liberating philosophy: “Don’t scrub the soul out of your home”; “Make room for what you love” this volume celebrates living beautifully and happily, not messily. Lavishly illustrated with intimate photographs.

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 Italian cooking : at home with the Culinary Institute of America

June 13, 2011

Scappin, Gianni.

Hoboken, N.J. : Wiley, c2011.

Authentic, amazing Italian cooking made easyThis sumptuously photographed guide to cooking all things Italian in the home kitchen will win over both beginning and experienced cooks with authentic and inventive recipes and step-by-step guidance from the experts at the CIA. Covering a variety of dishes from snacks, pickles, and preserves to pasta, meat, fish, and dessert, Italian Cooking is the perfect primer for fresh and flavorful Italian cuisine. With rustic focaccias, long-simmered soups, and entrÉes with aromatic herbs, these vivid recipes are irresistible. Wine suggestions and mouthwatering photographs accompany the recipes. Includes more than 150 fantastic, approachable Italian recipes Covers chapters on Gli Spuntini (Snacks and Little Bites), I Crudi (Raw Dishes), Le Minestre (Soupe), La Pasta Secca (Dry Pasta), La Sfoglia (Fresh Pasta), I Pesci (Fish), Le Carni (Meat), and more Features tantalizing photos by Francesco Tonelli that illustrate cooking techniques and provide plenty of inspiration for the home cook Italian Cooking offers a grand tour through Italian cuisine, covering regional cuisines, wines, and histories along the way.

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Jamie Durie’s the outdoor room

June 22, 2011

Durie, Jamie.

New York, NY : Harper Design, c2011.

Taking readers behind the first season of the HGTV show “Outdoor Room with Jamie Durie,” this edition reveals the secrets behind Durie’s creations and how his signature methods can help anyone create a beautiful outdoor room, no matter the size of the space.

Look what we’ve brought back!  We’ve brought back our luxury line of bath salts.  These salts were formally on our website…but we quickly learned that if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.  We were getting so many special request orders for the salts, we decided to just put them back on the website.  Perfect sampler pack available, great for holiday gifts.  Click on the pictures of the salts below to go to our website. 

Win a trip to NYC for an eye-opening peek at fashion week, including two (2) tickets to an exclusive ELLE fashion event, and a total makeover from a Maybelline New York makeup artist and ELLE stylist! Enter for your chance to win.

Here are five great magazines to get to know better. 

  Body + Soul Magazine:  Articles on whole living, living green, health and fitness articles, recipes.

  Cooking Light:  Hundreds of light, low calorie, and low fat recipes each month.  Great fitness articles.  Wellness.

  Organic Gardening:  Advice on green gardening, eco-issues, environmental issues, living organically.

  Every Day with Rachael Ray:  Many recipes each month, lifestyle advice, decor, girlfriends, household tips, etc.

  Cincinnati Magazine:  A favorite resource guide for local Cincinnatians.  Shopping, dining, events in and around Cincinnati.

Shop Supernatural Botanicals’ Summer Sale now.  All Face and Body Spa Soaps are on sale for only $6.00.   Stock up now!  

Supernatural Botanicals Face and Body Spa Soaps

    Pure Tangerine and Grapefruit Face and Body Spa Soap.

   Pomegranate and Grapefruit Face and Body Spa Soap.

   Mixed Berry Ultra Exfolating Spa Soap.

   Sweet Tropical Mango Face and Body Spa Soap.

   Island Coconut Face and Body Spa Soap. 

By now, surely you know that the eco-awareness movement isn’t just for wacked-out enviormentalist nut-jobs.  For those of us who have been eco-aware for years, we’re glad the masses are catching up.  It’s not a job we can leave for someone else to do; we all have to take part in saving the planet.   Here are five ideas that can get you proactively moving in the right direction. 

1.  Use you slow cooker (crock pot) to save on energy costs. 

2.  Group errands together to not only save on gas, but produce less polution.

3.  Don’t automatically turn on the air conditioning in the summer.  First, start with the windows open.  It airs out your house and puts you in a happy mood because you are a bit closer to nature.  If it’s miserable out, go ahead and turn the air on to breathe better.  I’ve noticed that when I don’t automatically turn the central air on, it forces me to turn my “auto-pilot” off and think about whether or not I really need to turn the air conditioning on. 

4.  Don’t use disposable plates and cups, use real plates and cups.  It saves them from eventually being dumped in landfills.  Beyond the practical, think esthetics.  Who wants to eat off of plastic when you can eat off of a beautiful plate? 

5.  Grow a garden.  Trees and plants oxygenate the air, helping you to breathe better, and you’ll save a ton of money in the produce department by growing your own veggies.  The taste is superior when freshly picked and the veggies’ natural sugars are flowing.

Why wait for tomorrow when you can do this today!  Here are five things you can do, today, to make your skin look better tomorrow.  As I’ve said a million times, the only way to make something a habit is to do it……and do it…..and do it.  That’s how good solid habits are formed.  And isn’t looking sensational worth it? 

Try these habit-forming ideas today!

  Drink as much water as possible!  It rids the body and skin of toxins and keeps your skin looking hydrated and healthy.

   Make the effort to eat better.  Start eating things that make you radiant (think veggies and greens) and less of things that make you unattractive (fast food and double lattes!)  Choose from super-foods, like blueberries that contains mega antioxidants. 

   Start working out!  There’s so many benefits to exercise.  Make sure to break a sweat at least once a day.  Sweating off toxins, as nasty as it sounds, is a very, very good thing for your skin.  Hit the steam room or sauna as much as possible. 

     Make sure you are washing your face once or twice a day (definitely before bed) to remove makeup and the day’s grime, helping to prevent breakouts.   It gives your skin a chance to breathe while your body is in a restorative state (sleep.)  Plus, it saves your expensive pillow cases from getting lipstick on them. 

     Use a great moisturizer at least once a day.  Preferably before applying makeup in the a.m., and after taking makeup off in the evening.  It helps to hydrate the skin, preventing dull, dry looking skin. 

 These are five things you can do today to look hot tomorrow!  It’s so worth it!

Are you falling in bed each night completely exhausted?  Too exhausted to wash your face before bed?  Sleeping in makeup is considered a Cardinal sin in skincare maintenance.  It blocks your pores, essentially smothering your skin.  It causes the appearance of your skin to look dull and older than it needs to look. 

The added benefit, for me, is the aromatherapy aspect I get from washing my face with  Spa Soaps.  Spa Soaps are our best sellers at Supernatural Botanicals….and for good reason.  They smell amazing and give immediate aromatherapetic benefits.  For instance, Grapefruit and Orange essential oils are thought to stimulate the mind and enliven the spirit.   I love washing my face with this.  It’s instantly refreshing. 

I also love the fact that I can wash my face with a bar soap and not have to worry about breakouts.  In our clinical study, none of our participants experienced any breakouts whatsoever, and in fact, all noted improved complexion. 

Explore our entire line of Spa Soaps at Supernatural Botanicals.  They are so indulgent and delicious! 

Here’s a sneak peek!  I’m really excited about these new Sea Salts we are getting ready to introduce at Supernatural Botanicals next week.  The salts are Bath and Shower Sea Salts.  Sea salt is extremely effective in exfoliation when combined with shower gel or body oil for the shower, provides the body with much needed minerals, deeply relaxes muscles, and makes bath time a luxurious spa experience.

We have five new amazing salts: 

   Island Coconut Bath and Shower Salts.  These sea salts are formulated with coconut milk and make the water ultra creamy, super indulgent.  Tropical, light summery coconut scent.  Island Coconut is always a top seller.

   Pure Mango Bath and Shower Sea Salts.  Gorgeous coral color bursting with juicy mango essential oils.   Delicious!   You’ll have guaranteed complements on how great you smell after using this….(I’m constantly using Pure Mango Body Butter!)

   Mixed Berry Bath and Shower Sea Salts.    Formulated with blueberry and strawberry seeds and mixed berry pure essential oils.  This one is really sensational….I’ve gotten a request for it every single day from numerous people since I’ve introduced it to my circle (girlfriends and family.) 

   Pure Orange Bath and Shower Sea Salts:  This is a must-have for orange and citrus lovers (like me!)  These salts are formulated with orange peel, packed with vitamin C, and smell like the juiciest orange imaginable.  Ridiculously good!  Super fresh, super beautiful.

   Supernatural Spa Collection Bath and Shower Sea Salts:  If you’ve ever had a spa experience, you know they are mega luxurious; the sights, the smells, the ambiance… it’s perfection.  I was absolutely adamant on creating a Spa Collection Line that recreated that exact experience for home use.  After many (many….trust) prototypes later, this is, without a doubt, a spa experience in a bag.    Formulated with Orange, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang to evoke a relaxed and calm mild. 

Here’s your sneak peek.  These will be available on the website www.SupernaturalBotanicals.com next week.  We will also be offering a sampler pack to try all five!  As always, they are eco-chic, green, and all-natural!  More info to follow!  Feel free to email me with any questions! Robin@SupernaturalBotanicals.com

So I’ve decided to have a neighborhood holiday block party at my house this year.  I’m not sure my neighbors are overtly eco-friendly, so I’m thinking a little green exposure won’t hurt them.   When you know better, you do better, right?  So my plan is to inadvertently expose them to an eco-friendly party and show them how fantastic going green can be.  Want to green up your holiday?  Incorporate a few of these suggestions into your party

  How cool is this?  Organic Vodka for your holiday party.  How absolutely fabulous can that be?  Square One Vodka is eco-chic, and is the first 100% organic American Rye Vodka.  Also a perfect hostess gift for a green-ling. 

   Keep it organic with your appetizers.   What could be better than a bounty of organic vegetables? ….a bounty of organic veggies with a big bowl of organic Ranch dressing, that’s what could be better!   

   This is a really important step to a great party…ambiance!   It’s often overlooked which is sad, because it’s absolutely key in the overall feeling of the party.  Throw those light switches on dimmers, and set the mood.  You’ll be creating the right ambiance while saving on your lighting bill.   Who knew green could be so sexy? 

  So you’ve dimmed the lights, now lets make it glow!  Soy candles are beautiful, and you’ll be sure to get compliments.  Perfect platform for green-telling stories.  Candles give perfect ambiance to the room and help you to turn the electricity down.  Another perfect green-ling hostess gift. 

   Gifts to the guests.   It’s always nice sending your friends out the door with a token of your appreciation.  Supernatural Botanicals All-Natural Body Butters will be a perfect eco-friendly parting gift to my guests.   Both women and men love these butters and they smell simply sensational!  Other considerations are bags of organic granola (you can find great bags for these at craft stores everywhere.) 

The idea is to shift the focus to greener living.  It’s a great holiday theme, a great conversation starter, and guilt-free partying!