new release: 3 vinotherapy spa gift baskets under $30

These adorable, sustainable bamboo gift baskets are packed with organic vinotherapy beauty treasures waiting to be discovered. Check out the new releases perfect for gifting or maybe a pampering treat for yourself... you deserve it.

coco cabernet vinotherapy facial basket |$28
Who doesn’t love wine and chocolate? This indulgent set comes complete with a custom vinotherapy coco cabernet mask for over 8 facials, a professional application fan brush, plus 5 samples of our skincare line: green tea & grapes cleanser, lavender rose toner, 100% pure grapeseed oil, chamomile grapefruit moisturizer and rose & grape serum.

sweet getaway basket | $25
An adorable getaway kit, complete with our signature scent 100% pure grapeseed & soy logo candle, 2 oz bath & massage oil and sweet lips.

massage trio basket | $26
A trio of massage samplings to enjoy. Your choice of two 2oz organic bath & massage oils plus a travel tin massage candle and bonus sweet lips balm (not pictured)

I'm loving...passionately pink

Passionately Pink | $70
Santa Barbara Gift Baskets

I just wanted to share with you all the adorable Passionately Pink Gift Basket the creative folks over at Santa Barbara Gift Baskets put together incorporating 2 of my favorite Grapeseed Co. products: The Pink Champagne Wine Bar Soap and our Logo Soy & Grapeseed Candle. Not to mention the delicious looking locally baked goods, champagne, chocolate and a bunch more goodies that will make her swoon.

Check out more Valentine basket creations over at their blog
www.begifted.wordpress.com

Beauty Foods: Creamy Tomato Bisque

Fresh From Your Kitchen, my features on green DIY spa recipes you can easily whip up right at home, put GreenSkincareBlog.com on the map & gained popularity for it's usefulness, educational value and results. Beauty Foods is a spin off on Fresh From Your Kitchen, bringing you the same format to delicious food recipes that will lead to glowing, healthy skin from the inside out!

Beauty Foods: CREAMY TOMATO BISQUE
This is a recipe I adapted that my friend Patti gave to me a few years back. I absolutely adore the creamy, rich texture the tofu and rice brings to the bisque without the heaviness of a cream, plus the added protein that makes it a real meal.

ingredients
2T EVOO
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
20 oz free range/organic chicken broth (veggies can use veggie broth instead)
2 C water
2 x 28 oz can crushed or diced organic tomatoes- roasted ones give it a fabulous flavor
1/2 softer texture organic tofu, cubed
1/4 C basmati rice
1 T rice vinegar

directions
Heat oil in large soup pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and stir about 3-5 min.
Stir in broth, water and rice, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, stir occasionally until rice is tender 15-20 min.
stir in tomatoes, tofu & vinegar. Remove from heat and puree in batches in blender. Be careful pureeing hot liquids, do not overfill!
Return soup to pot and reheat over medium high- season with salt & pepper if desired.

I like to top mine off with a wholegrain crostini and melted mozzarella or Parmesan

Why it's healthy for your skin and body
Tomatoes are a powerful superfood that contain cancer fighting lycopene. Garlic is packed with antioxidants like Vitamin E and coenzyme Q10, which help halt damaging effects of free radicals. Tofu provides protein and is important to look for organic or non-GMO tofu... it's worth the extra $0.40-.50! Here's a list of non-GMO soy product companies

A healthy complexion isn't rocket science. It comes from a combination of what you put in your body and what you put on your body. Check out the most recent Fresh From Your Kitchen: DIY Spa Recipes feature here.

introducing... Friday Tweet Deals!

this week it's more of a Friday Tweet Steal!
Get a FREE 2oz bath & massage oil with your order

Hey there! This is the 2nd Friday we're posting a super secret code on our facebook fan page and twitter page for all of our friends and followers. All you need to do is become a FB fan or twitter follower to receive the code. Each Friday morning, we'll feature a special promo for our friends and followers with a code that will be valid Friday and Saturday of each week. This week's code is for a FREE bath & massage oil with your $30+ order! Become a FB fan or twitter follower by clicking the links below and have a wonderful, sweet smelling weekend :)

The Nitty Gritty:
Friday Tweet Deals code will be valid for one-time only on retail purchases
May not be combined with any other code or discount
valid Friday and Saturday of each week from the time code is posted on Friday until 11:59PM Saturday

Mojito Man makes EcoFabulous "Lust List"

Valentine's Day is right around the corner...

We're tickled to see our mojito man gift box on the
EcoFabulous "Lust List" for Him for Valentine's Day!
Need a spark to get a bit more creative than flowers and chocolate this year? Check out all of these terrific finds that are sure to wow your sweetie!

mojito man gift box $20

A big thanks to EcoFabulous.com, you're one of our daily must reads and favorite sites for cool, unusual eco-friendly ideas and products!

Clean the World: Soap for Haiti

The devastation and destruction in Haiti is enormous. I can't even imagine the chaos going on, even after seeing the news and pictures. If you're thinking, "What can I do to help?" You can donate through the Red Cross, Unicef, Habitat for Humanity or another reputable organization.

The Grapeseed Co. is doing the little bit we can to help out by donating soaps through Clean The World. We donated 60 handmade shampoo and body bars last week. This weekend, I went into the office and gathered all of our slightly imperfect wine bars, soap scraps and ends and sent out another box this morning. Soap and hand washing helps prevent germs and disease from spreading, which is extremely important in a country that did not have advanced sanitation resources prior to the quake. Clean The World is also looking for hygiene and medical supplies and cash donations, you can visit their website to learn more. Please pitch in any way that you can. You can view updates on Clean the World's Relief efforts on YouTube where they are actually tracking the donations and deliveries through cruise lines.

3 reflections on health & wellness

I'm not real big into resolutions, but I have been doing quite a bit of reflecting since 2010 began. I believe that health is so much more than exercise and diet. It's overall wellness- peace of mind, body and spirit that equal a truly healthy lifestyle.

Everything is a learning experience
Even in the yuckiest of situations, there's a lesson to be learned or a silver lining... sometimes it's just not obvious at the time. I've been looking back on the challenges of the past year, and where I am now because of them. I am a better friend, wife, businesswoman and person because of lessons I learned through difficult experiences.

friends are the family you choose
I'm an East coast transplant and have a large, close knit family back in the Boston/NY area. While I'm fortunate to have some family that has joined me out on the West coast, it's hard sometimes to be away from those who love and support you. After 8 years in Santa Barbara, I've found my friends here are my family. Surrounding yourself with positive people who love and value you is key wherever you may be- traditional family or not. These folks are your biggest cheerleaders; don't forget to let them know you are thankful for them. A good friend (who became my sister-in-law) is a great reminder of this. She's always saying how blessed we are. It's become a running joke, but in truth I do feel incredibly blessed to have her and all of my East and West coast family members in my life. They help me stay healthy, motivated, connected and so much more.

a few members of my East/West coast family

It's all about perspective
We all have something to be thankful for. Voice it. Let those who matter know you care and are there to support them. When sh*t hits the fan, perspective is the road to recovery. Focus on the positive in your life, and how to turn what may seem negative into a positive rather than dwelling on the issue, however challenging it may be. Sometimes you need those closest to you to help you see the light and gain that perspective. I'm so thankful for all those in my life that do so on a daily basis. Listen, be open and put yourself in others shoes. Perspective...what do you have to be thankful for?

When it comes down to it, you are the only one in complete control of your health and wellness. I'm coming back to these 3 reflections when I hit a bump in the road, which is bound to happen to us all in the coming year.

Beauty is a healthy mind, body, and spirit; it shows on your face when that balance is present.

a soapy conundrum...

I kicked off my Saturday with a cup of coffee and brisk walk to the office to whip up a few batches of Pink Champagne wine bar organic soap this morning because it's out of stock, again.
So are the Summer Crisp Chardonnay wine bar organic soaps...
These were hot items this holiday season. We got cleared out, made soap like mad and cured inventory. Then, the LA Times ran a story about our wine soap the Sunday after Christmas. Wine swirled soaps started dancing in my dreams...
Between that and pre-orders from our wholesale partners, we were wiped out in less than 1 week.
So, we're back to taking pre-orders for the wine bars. If you're interested in wholesale, you can apply here. We're psyched these new bars are so popular, and are blown away by how they're flying off the shelves. Why the delay, you ask? A lot of love goes into these bars.

herbs are brewed,
wine is corked,
they're whipped by hand,
and cure for 30 days.
then wrapped in a label that you can
plant in your garden and grow wildflowers
and packaged in a sheer fabric gift bag.

and great news, the harvest crush syrah wine bar organic soap
IS currently in stock... this is luscious and rich for the the winter and super soothing and gentle on your skin. Enjoy! I'm off to order more soap molds :)

Fresh From Your Kitchen: out-a here eye bags

Late nights, long days, people pulling you every which way?
Leave your luggage at the door. Say goodbye to puffy, discolored eye bags in the morning with this quick and easy make at home skin care recipe. You can easily find ingredients to make it organic, too!

out-a here eye bags!

1 bag green tea
1/2 a cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 c almost boiling water

Make this on the weekend for quick weekday use. Keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week and use daily.

directions
~brew tea in almost boiling water for 60-90 seconds. This is the optimal way to benefit from the antioxidants in green tea
~pulsate cucumber in a blender or food processor
~whip together ingredients and place in glass airtight container, place in fridge

use:
dip 2 large cotton balls or discs into cool mixture
remove saturated cotton. lie down, relax and place on close lids and eye area for 2-4 min.
use daily or as needed. Gently apply Rose & Grape Serum to the eye area.

what it does
Cucumber is a mild astringent that helps to relieve puffiness. It's rich in vitamins and minerals that soften, calm & tone sallow or tired looking skin. The caffeine in green tea helps to constrict vessels and bring down swelling while delivering antioxidants. The cold temperature helps to reduce swelling. The Rose & Grape Serum delivers powerful polyphenols and antioxidants in a vitamin rich 100% natural, 80% organic blend to replenish and revive tired skin.

Green Skin Care Blog brings simple spa delights to your home with Fresh From Your Kitchen: DIY recipes & treatments you can create with a trip to the grocer or health food store. Direct from the creator of The Grapeseed Company's personal stash of fresh beauty creations and concoctions.

related posts
Check out past Fresh From Your Kitchen features:
natural cold & flu remedies
pumpkin cream pie facial
facial in a flower bouquet
I'm not 18 anymore muscle soak
the buzz sun repair mask
acai berry-oxidant mask
B.C.C. hair mask
vanilla dream salt glow
strawberry kiwi exfoliating mask
super silky bedtime bath salts
cold care
cool cucumber under eye mask
lemon ginger revitalizing bath
breakout busters
parsley facial steam

new year, new diggs!

The Grapeseed Co. kicked off the new year by moving to a new location in downtown Santa Barbara where we're busy setting up our eco-beauty kitchen, product stock and office all in one place! We're thrilled to be expanding our production capabilities as well as offering monthly "make your own natural skin care" classes. Check out the progress on our new set-up!

Surf's first visit (the office passed his sniff test)

installing new locks

gotta love DIY assemble furniture and a handy man...

entering the eco-beauty kitchen


storage wall

and more storage...

product display

office

Stay tuned for more on the eco-beauty classes, I'm super excited to start teaching and hope to launch the first class in the next few months. If you would like to learn more about the class, join our mailing list or subscribe to GreenSkincareBlog.com

We're also going to offer locals the option to stop by and pick up their orders in person and save a few bucks (and boxes) on shipping! One more bonus perk of this stellar way to start the new year... our new diggs are a short walk or bike ride from my house. I'm liking this new commute!

we're located at:
136 West Canon Perdido Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
please call before stopping by to pick up orders (805)456-3655

our billing & shipping address will remain the same at our UPS center:
1187 Coast Village Rd. #137
Santa Barbara, CA 93108