Valentines Weekend Survival Kit

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Looks like we're expecting another foot of snow this holiday weekend, along with gusty winds and other blizzard-esque conditions. Joy!!!

But that's no reason to miss out on celebrating. We put together a Valentines Weekend Survival kit to help you make it through in style.

Fill the bathtub... with this delightful Simple Bathing Milk from Little Barn Apothecary.  With essential oils of clove and orange, it'll warm your exhausted snow-shoveling limbs and soothe your mind with thoughts of spring.

There's snow reason to panic... but a delicious mug of Magnesium Calm anti-stress formula can help take the edge off! Mix one serving into lukewarm water. Or, put a few droppers of Urban Moonshine's Chocolate Love Tonic into your drink of choice to encourage a more romantic mood. We recommend it in hot chocolate or a cocktail!

No one can hold a candle to the one you love... unless they're holding a Rose Garden Candle from local company Thesis Beauty. These amber-glass candles glow bright for hours, keeping the flame of passion burning even after your power goes out from the storm. We suggest lighting a few candles, turning up the (battery-operated) stereo, breaking into a bar of My Cherry Baby Chocolate from Theo, and opening a bottle of Plantlife Enhance Romance Massage Oil to fully set the mood. 

If the weather is really driving you nuts... fill your bowl with guacamole instead! This tasty guac from local company Chica de Gallo is the perfect healthy-fat food to keep you satiated through the long, wintry night. Pair with Mary's Gone Crackers for a delicious snack, and share it over candle-light with the one you love. 

 

BOOK REVIEW: Broth, Nourishing Broth

Nourishing Broth: an Old-fashioned Remedy for the Modern World
By Sally Fallon Morell and Kaayla T. Daniel

Reviewed by Rosalind Michahelles 

This book tells you first why you should drink broth and then how to make it.  The “why” occupies parts one and two of the book, starting with the nutrition science on boiling bones, tendons, ligaments and the other remains—whether fowl, fish, or meat -- after we have eaten.  There is a good deal of complexity here but we can boil it down to gelatin, collagen, and cartilage.  All three are important elements in broth and stock, defined variously as including bits of meat and vegetable or not.  Stock, being the strained version, is used as a base for gravy and other sauces, especially after deducing or concentrating it.

Calendula: Blossoms of the Sun Calendula officinalis

By Steph Zabel
Herbalist, Ethnobotanist and Educator

Calendula is a quintessential summertime herb – its flowering reaches its peak during the warmest months, and its orange and yellow blossoms look like small suns. Which is exactly why calendula is such an agreeable herb for this time of year, when we all could do with a bit more sunshine, warmth, and color amidst our dark New England days. In the depths of winter, calendula flowers are a saving grace with their brightly colored petals, and their virtues steeped in hot cups of tea.

Sweet gifts for the one(s) you love

Valentines is a holiday that many of us love to hate. It's hard to get wrapped up in the pink hearts and red roses and gushy songs if you're not in a romantic relationship - and it can seem a bit contrived even if you are!

But the concept of celebrating love itself is generative - meaning, the more love you put out into the world, the more it grows and grows. And giving as an act of love can be a very special thing indeed. So whether it's a friend, family member, or significant other, here are a few sweet gift ideas for the ones you love.

Stretch your way into the New Year!

It can be a challenge to transition from the hedonism of the holiday season into healthy habits in the New Year! Many people make resolutions to be healthier, more fit and more energized. Practicing yoga is a great way to ease into a more active lifestyle during these cold, dark months. Jade, our resident graphic designer extraordinaire, is also a talented yoga instructor. She put together a couple of poses that will help to stretch and strengthen your body which in turn helps to manage stress!

Baddha Konasana

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This posture is a great hip opener.

Sitting with your spine straight, bring your feet together so that your heels and little toes are touching. The knees will splay out as you open your feet up like a book. If the knees are high up off the ground, don't use force to push them down. Instead just gently let the weight of your knees come down towards the ground. Continue to sit up tall, keep a neutral facial expression and breathe fully for 5-10 breaths. If your knees are close to or on the floor, after taking the 5-10 breaths sitting straight up, draw in your lower abdomen and reach your chest and chin forward exhaling as you continue to open up your feet and again, take 5-10 breaths. This will bring you deeper into the posture and give your hips more of a stretch. This posture is extremely beneficial for stimulating the abdominal organs, stretching the inner thighs, hips and knees and increasing circulation. Some traditional yoga texts state that Baddha Konasana is one of the most important postures.
 

Purvottanasana

This posture engages the entire body and opens up the heart. 

Sitting on the floor with your legs straight in front of you and feet together, bring your hands behind you about a foot back with your fingers facing in the direction of your feet. As you inhale, press down into your hands and send your hips up as you reach your toes down towards the floor. Again, keep a neutral facial expression as well as an engaged core and let your head come back as you take 5 full breaths. On the last exhale, lower your hips down. If pushing up from the floor is too challenging to start, you can hold on to the back of a chair, again with your fingers facing your feet, knees start off bent and as you inhale, lift your hips and straighten the legs. This posture strengthens the arms, legs and wrists and gives a good stretch to the shoulders, chest and feet. 

I hope you enjoy these postures and that they bring you strengthen and flexibility in the New Year!

Vitamin D - A Superstar for Winter Health Infection-Fighting Abilities For Colds and Flu

This well-known vitamin has recently become a “superstar” among our customers, their MDs and wellness experts alike.  Recent research has pushed the amazing impact that Vitamin D has on our everyday health into the limelight. 

A large and growing body of evidence is showing that this “sunshine vitamin” controls some 30,000 different genes in our bodies all of which play a crucial role in our health and well-being. (1)

This vitamin is naturally produced during the summertime when our skin is exposed to direct sunlight— a good reason not to overuse sunscreen. But in the northern latitudes in winter…well above the equator, where we live in Massachusetts, the rays that produce Vitamin D in our skin are long gone. In fact the sun’s rays are insufficient to produce ANY Vitamin D from October through May here in the Boston area.  We Northeasters have a very short summer 4-month window to utilize Vitamin D rays from the sun….leaving us to consider Vitamin D supplements for our best health solutions!

Staying Hygge This Season

In Denmark, the winter nights are long and cold and very dark (sounds pretty similar to Boston!). Those savvy Danes combat this seasonal dreariness with the art of hygge (pronounced 'hooga') a word that roughly translates to "coziness". This means things like lighting lots of candles, cooking meals and playing games with friends and family, wrapping up in warm blankets and reading good books by the fireplace. 

After the excitement of the holiday season has passed, incorporating hygge into your daily life can help keep that warm, festive spirit alive throughout the winter. Here are some ideas to help you bring the art of hygge into your home!

Five Favorites for Winter Wellness

January is winter wellness month at the store! Our head supplements buyer and Assistant Manager Zach has written up his top five go-to's for staying healthy throughout the season. Whether you like your wellness tonics strong and spicy, or sweet and smooth, there's something for everyone. 

Shire City Herbal’s Fire Cider: Made in Western MA, this immune tonic is one of my favorites for seasonal support.  A delicious infusion of raw apple cider vinegar with warming herbs and foods including turmeric, habanero pepper, horseradish, and garlic as well as flavorful lemons, oranges, and raw honey, Fire Cider is a great food-based way to support overall wellness throughout the winter months.

Not Just Skin Deep: Nate Goes Poo-less!

Finding the perfect low-maintenance but effective body care products can be a lot of tiresome trial and error - especially if you're a man! Our grocery manager Nate recently went "pooless" (more on that below) and has cultivated a selection of products that meet his discerning standards for quality, efficacy and ease.  

Nate says...

No matter what shampoo I used, they all dried my scalp out and left my hair frizzy. For the past few months I have been 'Pooless - that is, I don't shampoo my hair at all anymore. Now, before you wig out in disgust and stop reading, let it be known that going 'pooless has proven quite a revelation for the health of my hair - little to no scalp flakes with a soft, silky 'run your hands through it' feel. Here's a run-down of my all-time favorite low-maintenance body and hair care products that leave me feeling so fresh and so clean.

Ring in the New Year in Style!

Whether you're hosting or heading to a fabulous New Years' Eve house party, we've got all of your festive essentials to ring in 2015! Check out our list of must-haves for the 31st.

Urban Moonshine Maple Bitters: These maple bitters are the perfect addition to any beverage - whether mocktail or cocktail! Bitters aid in healthy digestion (preventing you from feeling sluggish after a big NYE meal) and are a wonderful flavoring agent as well. We recommend adding a dash to your glass of champagne or sparkling cider!