Supernatural Botanicals

Super easy decor straight from the produce department.  Fill clear jars or bowls, or in this case, a candle holder, and fill them with colorful fruits (as shown, Granny Smith apples and oranges).  Huge wow factor, easy to do, inexpensive, and healthy.

Think you can’t have a garden because you live in the city?  Think again.  The Durvaes Family of Pasedena, California has done just that.  Watch the amazing transformation of their yard, from dry, parched dirt, to rich organic soil where fruits and veggies (and more) grow.  Their story is ultra-inspiring.  Let it inspire you to do the same!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IbODJiEM5A

In clinical studies, celery always tops the list as being the “dirtiest” veggie.  Because celery stalks are extremely porous, they retain pesticides they are sprayed with…and if you aren’t eating organic celery, that’s about 13 pesticides your stalks are being sprayed with.  When purchasing celery, go with organic.  You’ll reduce your family’s chances of ingesting dangerous pesticides.  Have celery in the fridge that’s not organic?  It’s okay, it’s still edible, but be sure to wash it several times.  Using a good veggie wash or a homemade blend of one part vinegar and three parts water will do the trick.

Insider’s secret…Did you know that experts call certain fruits and vegetables the “dirty dozen” because they are higher in pesticide residue than other fruits and vegetables? 

It’s true.  So how do you combat the toxins?  Go organic, that’s one way! 

The following fruits and veggies are considered the “dirty dozen”.  When possible, you should purchase these in the organic section, assuring you are free of toxins and pesticides.  Be sure to clean your produce completely with a fruit/vegetable rinse or with a bit of vinegar heavily diluted in water. 

1. Apples.
2. Bell peppers.
3. Blueberries.
4. Celery.
5. Cherries.
6. Imported grapes.
7. Kale.
8. Nectarines.
9. Peaches.
10. Potatoes.
11. Spinach.
12. Strawberries. 

Punky Brewster, aka, Soleil Moon Frye had a baby and then became obsessed with giving that baby the very best in the very purest form.  You know the story…if you have a child, you can relate.  But Soleil did something about it.  Soleil, along with Paige Goldberg-Tolmach, created The Little Seed. 

The Little Seed is a children’s specialty boutique carrying eco-friendly and organic products and is located in the hip, urban enclave of Larchmont Village in Los Angeles. 

The store stocks sustainable versions of everything baby needs, from clothing and body care to toys and gifts, and now the products will be available to moms who live outside L.A. through a partnership between the store owners and Target.  The brightly colored clothes, booties, hats, and blankets, which are made of 100% organic cotton, will be introduced in stores this Sunday.

So it’s May here in Cincinnati, otherwise known as zone 6, and everything in my garden and yard is starting to bloom.  It’s such a beautiful time of the year when plants are such a beautiful spring-green.  The rain has been good this season, thus far.  Here’s what’s happening in my yard.  Having luck in your yard this year? 

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Cilantro.  This gorgeous cilantro has taken root and is spreading quickly.  Good thing, because I’ll need at least a cup of this cilantro this evening for a homemade salsa I’m making.  It makes salsa and Pico de Gallo come to life with freshness.

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Parsley.  I haven’t had a chance to plant this outside yet as I’ve only had it a few days, but it looks great sitting in my kitchen windowsill.  I’d let it grow there all season, but I want it to expand.  I’m going to need a lot more than this to make Italian dishes all summer long. 

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Annabelle Hydrangeas.  These will definitely be the sweetheart of my yard when they are in bloom.  They produce enormous white flowers that are between 8-12″ wide!  They also produce lots of flowers.  Perfect if you like having vases of flowers around your house (like I do.)

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Backyard.  The perfect place to be.  I love it here.  I don’t like that all the grass is worn off under the tire swing, but you try keeping 17 neighbor kids out of your yard.  I surrendered.  They have fun, so what’s a little rough spot in your lawn at the end of the day?  There are bigger fish to fry than that.

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Flowering Cherry Blossom Tree.  I planted this about a month ago.  It accepted its chosen location very well, but I am concerned about some of the leaves…note the top right leaf has tiny holes in it, which appears to be from pests.  I will spray it with organic pest killer this weekend. 

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Dwarf Anjou Pear Tree.  Another freshly planted tree, about a month into the ground.  I cannot wait for fresh fruit! 

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Dwarf Granny Smith Apple Tree.   Planted about a month ago, it’s doing a great job of getting rooted in place.  The fruit trees will be treated organically, of course.

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Dwarf Granny Smith Apple Tree.  Up until about four days ago, I thought this tree was dead.  It has been in the ground for over a month without even a sign of life.  Luckily, I waited before I decided to pull it out of the ground.  Four days ago, I noticed these little stubs.  It’s a beautiful thing!

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Inside of composter.  Okay, brace yourself on this one.  This is the inside of my composter.  You’ll find things like a huge tree root system, coffee grounds, celery, salad, leaves, etc.  This will take almost a year to break down and turn into soil.  But think of the organic material I’ll have for next year, and all the garbage I’ll be saving from the landfills. 

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Earth Machine Composter.  This is the what the composter looks like, tucked back into the corner of my yard.  It blends right in behind a pine tree.  Best of all, I’m helping save the Earth.  Love that!

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Bartlett Pear Tree.   It won’t produce fruit this year, but when it does…yum!  Nothing like eating fruit right from the tree when it’s still warm from the sun.

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Rows of  lettuces.  This is new this year, a raised vegetable bed.  These were all planted this past Saturday from seed, and I took these pictures on Thursday evening.  Less than seven days, and they are sprouting already. 

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Raised vegetable bed.  I’m so excited to add this bed to my yard this year.  Because my yard is filled with bunnies and squirrels, growing veggies on the ground in the traditional method is pure hassle.  A raised bed is a great way to keep out pests , to assure your soil is completely organic, and it spares your back when bending over when gardening.  I have rows of designer lettuces, spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes in this bed.

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Stargazer lilies.  These were planted as bulbs, and have been in the ground for about five weeks now.  These will produce sensational Stargazer lilies throughout the summer.  Perfect for cutting and putting in vases around the house.  Gorgeous in bouquets.   Each stem will produce at least a half dozen huge flowers. 

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Rosemary.  Rosemary just screams “put me on some roasted potatoes!”  This herb will spread out and become a wonderful addition to my Mediterranean meals I make this summer.

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Garden Salsa Peppers.  The first peppers are emerging from the baby flower pods.  Last year my garden salsa pepper plant produced tons of peppers.  If they keep on producing abundantly, I have no problems making salsa every weekend!  Bring it!

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Dill.  Okay, so she’s not prettiest girl at the dance.  Dill is not a very attractive herb.  It grows eratically and in awkward shapes.  But, there’s nothing like fresh dill.  It’s superb in dips, in salads, on seafood, and on my infamous cucumber sandwiches.  Delicious when you mix it with lettuces in your salad.

There’s something immensely enticing about the allure of a great sugar scrub.  Supernatural Botanicals Grapefruit Sugar Scrub is made from an all-natural vegetable base, and is bursting with the fresh aroma of pure grapefruit.  Nothing makes your skin scream “spoiled” more than beautiful, exfoliated sexy skin. 

Our all natural formula never seperates, leaving a layer of sugar on the bottom and oil on the top.  Our sugar scrubs will maintain perfect consistency, which enables you to use every last drop and avoid waste.  The silky feel of the sugar scrub glides over your skin softly, exfoliating every inch along the way.  Skin feels soft and moisturized after use (and not like an oil slick!)    

Turn each shower into a spa experience.  Want sexy skin?  You can have it.  Try Supernatural Botanicals eco-chic Grapefruit Sugar Scrub. 

Not only is fruit good for you, it’s good on you.  Fruit is an incredible multi-tasker in that its purely nutritious and it’s beneficial to your skin when topically applied.  Try a fresh fruit peel for your face and body.  A simple kitchen basting brush (either silicone or with very soft bristles) can be used to “paint” your body in the shower to exfoliate and moisturize every inch of your skin.  Pineapple and papaya contain natural enzymes and alpha-hydroxy acids that remove dead skin cells while the honey moisturizes the skin.  At home spa treatments are closer than you think.

• Gentle Fruit Peel

• 1 cup fresh pineapple
• 1/2 cup fresh papaya
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Puree fruit together then add the honey and mix into a smooth paste
• Apply to skin and let dry for approximately 5-10 minutes, rinse clean

Combating dry skin is a piece of cake,  you just have to know how to do it.  An all natural and inexpensive way to revive your skin is an oatmeal bath.  Use about a half a cup to a cup of plain oatmeal (it can be slow cook or instant…just be sure it’s plain with no added sugars or flavors.) 

The key to an oatmeal bath is to grind the oatmeal into a fine powder.  You can do this by putting the oatmeal in a food processor or blender for about a minute.  When the oatmeal powder is added to warm water, it blends throughout the bath water and is superior in coating your skin like a silicone glove.

Oatmeal has long been used to combat dry skin and it works every time.  Try this in your bath tonight for better skin tomorrow.   

I’m always so thankful to get your emails!  It puts a huge smile on my face everyday to know you are loving Supernatural Botanicals. 

I get emails on a daily basis asking me “what’s the best thing to try?”  When I say that I adore everything we make, it’s the truth.  Then again, I would…I formulated everything.  Still, some remain my favorite amongst all the great things we offer. 

I absolutely adore body sprays.  I’ve always felt perfumes were too strong and invasive.  I have always loved body sprays for their tendency to be lighter and kinder to your senses.  You can spray body sprays direclty onto your face for instant refreshing.  You can spray body spray in your hair to give you that “just washed” feeling.  I always use body sprays on my skin right out of the shower.  I have body sprays everywhere…in my car, in my purse, on my desk, in every bathroom in my house, etc. 

Take a break from perfumes and give body sprays a try.  My favorites (at the moment) are Grapefruit and Beach.  At this point, I believe they are my signature scents (always subject to change!)  Living life in a constant aroma-therapeutic bliss makes for a beautiful life!