Product Rave: Badger's USDA Organic Cocoa Butter Lip Balms

If you live in Canada, you know how harsh winters can be on our skin and lips. I know I'm constantly on the lookout for the best moisturizers full of the loveliest, purest ingredients available.

Luckily, I've found an uncompromising match.

Made with a base of USDA organic fair trade cocoa butter blended with organic extra virgin olive oil, organic beeswax, organic castor oil, organic aloe extract, organic seabuckthorn berry and organic rosehip, Badger's Organic Cocoa Butter Lip Balm's are as pure as it gets; the ingredients are good enough to eat (or at least lick off your lips all day!)

Guess what else? You’ll never find petrolatum listed on any of their product’s ingredients list. The cocoa butter used in their balm is traditionally processed at low temperatures, allowing the it to retain its rich, dark chocolate fragrance and natural health properties.

Choose from seven smashing different flavors of fair-trade certified lip balms in beautifully printed packaging!

I’m currently loving 'Cool Mint' because it gives that lovely tingle and plumping effect due to the organic peppermint oil in the formula.

Each of the lip balms feature certified organic ingredients housed in a chubby little 0.25-ounce tube.

I bought mine at a local health food store for $5. That’s less than the price of a (probably non-fair trade) latté–and this little sucker is sure to last you a long time.

Scoop up a few of these lip balms to last you through this winter’s harsh winds and dropping temperatures. And while you're at it, check out the rest of their salves and moisturizers.

Supporting fair trade-certified companies should be a year-round commitment so try to familiarize yourself with the label and begin to make over your beauty arsenal­—and your purchasing habits.

The Top 10 iPhone Apps for a Green Lifestyle!

Since technology plays such a big part in our lives, I thought I would talk about one of the most revolutionary devices which re-defined the world of smartphones –the Apple iPhone.

I can't even begin tell you how many countless times it has been useful to me in every possible way.

Whether I'm checking the weather or sending a last-minute document by e-mail, my trusty iPhone is always there to do the job.

Apple prides themselves on being a 'green' company by using packaging made from post-consumer fiberboard materials and eliminating PVC, arsenic, bromine and mercury from their electronics. On top of the phone being eco-friendly, it's like having a work of art in your pocket!

Below, I have compiled a list of the top ten apps I use daily and can't live without:

1. Pocket Yoga–($2.99)

You'll never have an excuse not to get in some yoga time with this lovely app. Practice and perfect your asanas, meditate and work those muscles with step-by-step routines tailored to fit your time limits and level–Namaste!

2. VegOut–($2.99)

A star for vegan restaurant go-ers and tourists wanting to check out what a city has to offer in terms of raw, vegan or organic food. It uses your location to pin-point restaurants near you which offer alternative, healthy meals. In collaboration with the wonderful HappyCow website, get reviews and ratings for any restaurant or health food store that you want. It's well worth your money and it's one of my all-time favorite apps!

 3. Green Shine–($2.99)

This app is great if you're looking to save money and save the planet by making your own eco-concoctions! Mix everything from ingredients for homemade furniture polish to floor cleaner. Add in your favorite essential oils and you're house will be smelling sweet in no time. A must-have for the eco-conscious diva!

4. Locavore–($2.99)

Never again will you be stuck in the organic produce section, not knowing what's in season and what isn't. This app is your go-to guide to seasonal fruits and veggies, as well as where to find them at your nearest farmer's market. Not only that, but Locavore offers an extensive list of salads, slaws, tarts and dips for you to make using seasonal ingredients.

5. Do It Gorgeously & Gorgeously Green–(FREE & $0.99)

If you're a fan of Sophie Uliano, then I recommend you check out these two apps which complement her books perfectly. The first one has a ton of DIY videos teaching you everything from making the perfect Fruit Pavlova to creating a luxurious Organic India Rose Facial Oil! The second lets you know which oils to cook with, their smoking points as well as 'The Dirty Dozen' and 'The Clean Fifteen'. You get such a wealth of knowledge right at your finger tips.

6. Green Genie–($0.99)

It offers a host of resources, projects and a bank of glossary terms to help you adapt to a new green-friendly language. Projects are categorized from small to large and there are some really helpful energy-saving solutions here. Perhaps ripping out your current toilet and replacing it with a brand new low-flow version is a little pricey, but how about putting a sealed plastic bottle of rocks or sand in your existing toilet tank so it takes up space and in turn, reduces the amount of water used per flush?

7. Saf' Recipe Box (FREE)

A great little gem which lets you browse through a collection of raw, vegan, organic and healthy recipes! You can check the nutrient score of certain foods, read articles from 'Eat Well' or jot down your grocery list. I like to browse through the Featured recipes section and add my own spin to things!

8. Seafood Watch–(FREE)

Not sure what sushi to get? This app makes it a no-brainer for you to choose sustainably-sourced fish, clearly letting you know which ones are the best choice, good alternatives and the one's you should avoid at all costs. I used it in the past every time I bought my fish from the market, but now I've got the lists memorized. However, I do occasionally whip it out when I'm ordering sushi at my local Japanese restaurant. Gotta know whether to go with the Unagi Maki or Nijimasu!

9. Shopgreen–($0.99)

It's opening menu allows you to choose from a list of green activities such as: Transport, Home and Groceries. You can easily calculate how many pounds of CO₂ you save by answering questions about your grocery shopping habits as well as by reporting the amount of bottles, cans and newspapers you recycle.

10. Fooducate–(FREE)

It's like having your a personal nutritionist, on the go! Browse over 200,000 different products and use your iPhone's camera to scan UPC bar codes for the healthiest groceries available. You can compare foods, select alternatives and even check whether any controversial additives were used. Talk about a food life saver!

Did I miss something? What's your favorite iPhone app?

Raw-Raw-RAWTELLA!

I recently had a craving for something sweet and creamy, so instead of eating an unhealthy, cream-filled doughnut or a high-calorie piece of cake, I decided to make a batch of homemade Rawtella.

Rawtella is the organic, healthy, nutrient and antioxidant rich version of Nutella.

I love making this spread. It's raw, gluten-free and safe for people with peanut allergies as there are only a few, simple ingredients in the recipe.

It's so easy to make that you'll be done before you even know it.

I personally use raw, organic blue agave nectar as my sweetener of choice. Be careful when buying agave as some companies' syrups are highly processed and heated to high temperatures. When shopping for it, look for clear agave syrup–a sign that it has not been processed and diluted with blackstrap molasses. I recommend you always check with the company to see how their nectar is prepared.

Ingredients:

1 cup of raw, organic hazelnuts (soaked overnight)
½ cup of raw, organic cacao or carob powder
1 teaspoon of organic vanilla syrup
¼ teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of raw, organic agave nectar
1 tablespoon of organic, extra-virgin unrefined coconut oil

Preparation: 

1.   Throw the raw hazelnuts in your food processor for several minutes until they reach a clumpy and oily consistency.

2.  Add the cacao/carob, agave, vanilla, sea salt, and process until the mixture is smooth.

3.   Stir in the coconut oil until you reach the desired consistency.

You can always adjust the quantities of your ingredients to taste.

I love spreading this stuff on my morning toast and dipping pieces of apple and celery in it as a great little snack.

Now you can indulge the healthy way!

Living in Montreal!

 

I wanted to do a little personal post and let you all know what's going on in my life at the moment.

I recently had the opportunity to temporarily relocate to Montreal, Canada.

I lived in Montreal for about four years before moving to New York, so I am very familiar with the city and the language.

It's a great place to lead a green life and I can't wait to explore all the city has to offer!

I'll be posting about the best health food stores, restaurants, yoga spots, farmer's markets and more!

Again, a big thank you goes out to everyone who is being so supportive. It means a lot to me.

Have a lovely weekend!