A Bittersweet Blogcation & Photo Contest Winner!

Jennifer's beautiful Butterfly Bush!

“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” 
― Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

Summer is in full swing! If you haven't noticed already, I have been a little absent from posting for a few weeks. The kids got out of school mid-June and we have been spending as much time as we can playing outdoors, eating popsicles and heartily enjoying the beautiful (albeit terribly dry) Michigan Summer of 2012.

This summer has, thus far, been bittersweet. On June 21st, we suddenly lost our dear friend and neighbor, "Miller." He was one of the kindest souls I've known and he is missed dearly by our family, especially my daughters who used to spend time daily with him in his garage talking about life, school, unicorns and stuffed animals.

It was a terrible way to start the summer, but then the "down" was replaced with an "up" this past week when out-of-town friends, who we haven't seen in years, stopped in for a few days, bringing joy with their two little boys and the familiar warmth of seasoned friendship. This was coupled with a surprise visit from my sister-in-law and our wee little niece.

Bittersweet.

This summer is proving to be even more bittersweet for me on a personal level. It is the last summer with both of my girls before they are both in school full time. Sigh. I don't know where the time has gone. I want to hold on to these past years of watching them grow and blossom - and not let go. But at the beginning of September, I will watch my eldest continue on in her school path as a second grader and will walk my littlest into her kindergarten classroom for the first time. Watching them both growing in spirit, cheering them on while fighting back the tears, knowing I'll be missing my little sidekicks.

Bittersweet.

So, I have made the decision that I will be taking a break from blogging for the rest of summer. A blogcation,  I guess you could call it. This is again, very bittersweet for me, as I will miss it.

But these first few weeks of summer have been a reminder to me that life is short and we need to squeeze every bit of the sweetness out of it. Hug your neighbors and tell them you love them. Stay up all night with a bottle of wine and your dear, old friends talking about the good times (and when I say old, I mean friends from long ago - not old, like OLD, OK, Kevin and Sharon? You are both still fabulous!). Cherish time with your family - life twists and turns, shifts and changes and our families can be our rock.

I'm going to go dance in the dewy fairy grass with my babies for a few weeks. Until then, I leave you with the beautiful winner of the recent photo contest (above). Thank you Jennifer for sharing your gorgeous butterfly bush! It captures the sunshininess of summer. :)

Much love and hugs to you all! Have a wonderfully sweet summer!

A Pretty Face & A Garden Photo Contest

A pretty face greeted us this past week! This is the first of the calendula to blossom this year. Seems like the garden is finally in full swing! :)


What is growing in your garden? I'd love to see! 


Email me a photo from your garden (camille@skincareforyoursoul.com) by 5pm EST on Monday, July 2 and I will feature it in an upcoming blog post! A winner will be chosen at random and the lucky winner will receive a rockin' tube of Bella Bitch Balm! 


Happy Wednesday!

Balmers Anonymous (BA): Bella Bitch Balm

Sass for your lips.

I love lip balm. In fact, it is a love that probably borders slightly on obsession. At any given time, I have handfuls of lip balm in my purse and every room in the house. And I have a special relationship with each and every one of them. I have special balms for morning. Special balms for evening. Special balms for dropping the kids off at school. And special balms for just about every other special time of life.

I know there are more of us out there, so I've started a new feature - Balmers Anonymous (BA) - which will periodically cover reviews of balms I have loved and you may love, too. BA was inspired by my friend, herb wife and fellow BA member, Briana (of Rose of Wellness) and the creator of the balm receiving this inaugural review - Bella Bitch Balm.

I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Briana at the 2011 Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference. She is a spitfire of a gal, wise beyond her years and she has created one rockin' balm! Put on your sassy pants for this one!

Bella Bitch Balm, inspired by Briana's beautiful Alaskan Malamute pup (who also modeled for the label), is a 99% organic balm containing luxurious ingredients such as rose infused olive oil, mango butter and rosehip seed oil. It also contains alkanet root, which stains your lips a lovely natural rose hue and cayenne, which adds the lip plumping sass.

This balm earns the coveted kitchen countertop placement, since that is the room where I spend much of my time.

Bella Bitch Balm is available at Gunnylove.com, a super sweet artisan marketplace from Gunnison Valley, Colorado. Check out the other neat-o stuff they have there.

I heart you, Briana, and your Bitch Balm, too. :)

Summer Skin Survival: The Beach Bag

Woohoo! It is beach time again!

Actually, there was a time not too long ago when I avoided going to the beach entirely. I have fair skin that burns in a heartbeat, which can make it hard to stay out for an afternoon in the sun without turning red, crispy and miserable by the end of the day.

Once when I was 11 years old, I was burnt beyond belief while on a family beach vacation. This was back when no one used sunscreen. They were the days of slathering on baby oil while laying on those weird, space-age reflective blankets (do any of you remember that?). I think the highest SPF available back then was around 4 or 6 and everything was marketed "for a dark, dark tan" - AKA sun damage.

I burned so bad on this vacation that I could hardly sit and peeled three times after we returned home. I think that was just about one of my last real trips to the beach. After that, I spent all of my summer days wandering the shaded woods or brooding in my bedroom listening to The Cure.

Then I had my daughters (and removed my black eyeliner - well, most of it anyway) and discovered that the beach is a blast again. But I knew that we needed to be a LOT safer in the sun than I had been growing up.

Even for those with gorgeous skin that tans easily, it is important to still protect yourself for a day in the sun. The suns rays still damage skin below the surface, which shows up later as wrinkles and sun damaged skin. It is WAY easier to prevent sun damage than it is to fix it down the road.

So what is a beach lover to do? Here is my go-to list of what I carry in our beach bag (in addition to swimsuit, towel, snacks and trashy novel) to protect us - safely and naturally - from a day in the sun:

3rd Rock Sunblock SPF 30
This natural sunblock not only protects skin effectively with zinc oxide, it also helps skin to repair itself. It is great for those with super sensitive skin that might have issues (rashes, etc.) with other types of sun protection. I love this stuff! You can read my full review of 3rd Rock from last summer HERE. They also now make an unscented and infant formula.

Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30+
I wear this all natural, aloe-based SPF facial moisturizer every day of my life and it works great for a day at the beach, too. It goes on light, non-greasy and makes a great base for makeup, should you choose to wear it. It offers full spectrum UVA/UVB protection,  no nanoparticles, no GMO's and is vegan and paraben free to boot.

Badger SPF 15 Sunblock Balm For Lips
This natural lip balm protects the delicate skin on your lips, which are frequently forgotten when applying sun protection. It is zinc oxide based, fragrance-free, chemical-free and protects against UVA and UVB rays.

DIY Cooling Mist
To cool yourself down, mix 1 part strong peppermint tea to 1 part aloe juice (available at your local natural foods store). Place in a spray bottle and chill before going to the beach (or if you have a cooler, keep it chilled on ice for a special treat!). Periodically mist your face and body to stay chill in the heat. This will also help to keep your skin from becoming too surface-dry from the sun. Just remember to mix a fresh batch each time you go to the beach since there are no preservatives.

Sunglasses
Opt for the largest specs you can find with wraparound sides to give your peepers and the delicate skin around the eyes maximum protection. This thin-skinned area is often one of the first to show sun damage. On that topic, be sure to use sunscreen in this area. Along with the ears and lips, it is a body part that is often forgotten when applying sunscreen. Just don't get it in your eyeball.

Floppy hat
To help keep the sun off of your face and bean. Many skin cancers happen on the scalp since it often goes unprotected from the sun. If you've ever had a part sunburn on your head, you know how bad that sucks, too.

Large scarf
Having a large scarf in your bag can come in handy in a beach situation. You can use it as a wrap to protect your head, shoulders or any part of your body. You can use it as a beach blanket. You can also drape it between sticks from the beach stuck in the sand to fashion a makeshift cabana tent over your towel. Or you can wear it as a superhero cape, should you find that necessary.

Water
This is a no brainer. We all know how important it is to stay hydrated when out in the heat.

A few miscellaneous tips:

• Apply sunscreen at least 20-30 minutes BEFORE you go to the beach for maximum protection (although physical sunblocks with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide do provide immediate protection right when they are applied).
• Hit the beach in the early morning or late afternoon, before or after the peak sun hours (10AM to 3PM).
• Remember to reapply sunscreen products every 90 minutes or when you have been swimming or sweating heavily.
• Don't rely on shady areas to provide complete protection - the sun will still find you. :)

For some beach inspiration, check out this groovy beach bag or this floppy sun hat I found on Etsy. 

Have fun out there!!!

What's in your beach bag?

Smile...

Just wanted to remind you. :)