Valentine's Day is coming up. I'm going through my stationery stash (I love stationery) and sorting through my address book to figure out who I should send Valentines to this year. I started last night and came across my Linda & Harriet 2010 Calendar. We featured this cute calendar in the January/February 2010 issue's "Fresh Finds" section. The calendar is printed with soy ink on 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper. Because January's over, you can reuse the back of the calendar as a postcard—I'm getting a little wild and jumping over to March's postcard (the calendar will still be useful—the postcard part is the lower half with all the designs) because I want to send some Valentine's Day butterflies to a friend.

Linda & Harriet's 2010 Calendar is colorful and beautiful. I'm sending March's postcard to a special friend who loves butterflies. Photo Courtesy Linda & Harriet.

Linda & Harriet's double-use calendar is a genius idea. Photo Courtesy Linda & Harriet.

If you want a more traditional Valentine's Day card, Linda & Harriet has a cute "pig love" design. It has a sweet greeting ("I like me with you") and is a nice weight.

Linda & Harriet's "Pig Love" Valentine's Day card is letterpressed in bold shades of pink and plum. It comes with a gray envelope and costs $4.50. Photo Courtesy Linda & Harriet.

Linda & Harriet also produces a wide array of note cards that work perfectly as Valentine's Day cards (pick a good design that could double as a thank you card and Valentine's Day card to stretch your stationery budget.) Here are my favorite Valentine's Day cards from Linda & Harriet:

" Summer Dress in Fuscia " is bright and stylish. The set of six letterpress cards comes with gray envelopes and costs $14 for the set. Photo Courtesy Linda & Harriet.

"Pink Tulips" appeals to me because tulips are my favorite flowers. I like the delicate blue-pink in these notes. The set of six cards comes with gray envelopes and costs $14 for the set. Photo Courtesy Linda & Harriet.

"Cure Card" works well as a Valentine's Day card because it features a flamingo couple. To me, it looks like they're dancing. Linda & Harriet donates 20 percent of all sales of this limited edition flamingo card to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancel Center in New York City; buy a set of six for $14. Photo Courtesy Linda & Harriet.

"Summer Strawberries" are sweet—if you have nice handwriting or have mastered calligraphy, you can even pen your own personal message on the front because there's ample white space. Pair this Valentine's Day card with a dozen chocolate-dipped strawberries for a perfectly coordinated gift. A set of six "Summer Strawberries" cards costs $14. Photo Courtesy Linda & Harriet.

If there's one natural beauty product that I'm addicted to even more than natural lip balm, it's natural lip gloss. I own several shades of lip glosses and organize them according to color family (pinks, neutrals, reds and browns); a large part of my bathroom is dedicated solely to lip glosses.

But I won't lie to you—my lip glosses aren't sorted by toxicity level, and if they were, I'd have only a handful that I'd feel comfortable using every day. That's a scary thought when you read statistics that suggest women ingest up to 10 pounds of lip product in their lifetimes (ew!) and some of those conventional products contain up to 3.06 part per million (ppm) of lead. Every time I read that statistic, I cringe, because I wonder how many top-dollar toxic concoctions I own. I'm slowly weeding them out and replacing them with better-quality, natural cosmetics.

Luckily, I've stumbled upon yet another fabulous natural cosmetics company that makes long-lasting, beautiful natural lip glazes and natural lip glosses that have excellent color payoff and affordable pricing. Monave, which specializes in mineral makeup, produces one of my newest, favorite natural lip glosses to date. I wear Monave's Candy Apple Glaze #503 for a warm, pinkish-red tone that complements my natural lip color (I store it in my "neutrals" drawer because it's so similar to my natural lip color—just with a color kick and some shine!). If you have an olive complexion similar to mine, you will also look great in Liquid Gloss #170 Allure (a bronzy glow);  Liquid Gloss #169 Divine (a smoldering violet); and Liquid Gloss #152 Mauvelous (a matte mauve).

Try all of Monave's natural cosmetics. Photo Courtesy Monave.

I love that Monave lists all ingredients on its natural lip gloss tubes; Candy Apple Glaze #503 contains castor oil, jojoba oil, carnuba wax, mica iron oxides (for shimmer) and vitamin E—talk about moisturizing! Monave natural lip glazes are vegan, meaning they are made without animal byproducts (beeswax and carmine). I will always feel comfortable wearing Monave natural lip glazes and lip glosses, and since I've acquired these four new shades, I've recycled their conventional counterparts.

Monave natural lip glosses and lip glazes cost $13 to $13.50, but Naturally Beautiful blog readers get a special discount—15 percent off your entire purchase! Monave president Deborah Bilezikian wants to help you make an affordable transition to natural cosmetics: You can use discount code NATH10 on web orders or phone orders, and you can use the code as many times as you want...time to stock up! What will you get with your special discount? Tell me in the comments section what you're going to try from Monave.

While I'm usually pretty healthy and rarely suffer from head pain, when I do get a headache, it's always piercing and intolerable. My "goodie drawer" at work is stashed with vitamins, lotion, medicine and any other I-live-at-my-desk essential to handle those days when I feel a little under the weather; now, I can add another essential to it: Badger Headache Soother Mind Balm.

Badger Headache Soother Mind Balm is available online and at major natural retailers nationwide. Photo Courtesy Badger.

Through the power of aromatherapy, Badger Headache Soother Mind Balm helps clear sinuses with eucalyptus and peppermint oils while calming your senses with a light touch of lavender. Simply rub the balm on your temples, sinuses and anywhere else you feel a little tense; breathe in the invigorating aroma, and relax.

Sounds good, right?

While I still may pop an ibuprofen, Badger Headache Soother Mind Balm definitely helps put me at ease. The cool, minty spots on my temples have a therapeutic effect on my mind.

All Badger Mind Balms are USDA-certified organic, cost $8 and come in 1-ounce tins. I bet this tin will last at least a year; you don't need a whole lot of balm to hit the right spots to get that bad headache away.

If you aren't a habitual headache sufferer (or you aren't surrounded by people who may need some headache relief), check out Badger Mind Balms in Stress Soother (who doesn't need that?!), Clear Mind Balm, Cheerful Mind Balm and Yoga & Meditation Mind Balm.

Do you have any go-to remedies for headaches or other minor pain/irritation? Leave me a comment and tell me about it.

Make 2010 your healthiest year yet. Follow these five green beauty resolutions for a naturally beautiful new year!

1. Scrutinize skin care and cosmetics labels. 

The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database receives about 10 hits a day from me. It’s become my best friend this year, as I’ve weaved through numerous skin care labels. I admit, though, I can be lax when it comes scrutinizing makeup. It doesn’t make sense to take care of my skin with organic products, but then paint my face with petroleum.

Luckily, I’ve been discovering more and more eco-cosmetics lines every day. One of my new favorites is Monave. Monave mineral makeup is weightless, beautiful and has an excellent color payoff. It’s made from pure, oxidized mica and crushed minerals—same active ingredients conventional makeup contains, minus the added chemicals. I love jazzing up my eyes with shimmery versatile powders. Simply layer the shadows to produce bold, smoldering eyes—and custom colors!

Monave mineral eyeshadow is healthy for your skin and fun to apply. Photo Courtesy Monave.

2. Whip up more natural home remedies.

I’ve shared a few natural home beauty tips in the past, but have recently begun concocting natural home remedies again. When winter wind and drying indoor heat made my oily skin become flaky, I knew no conventional scrub could help me. That’s when I decided to mix two tablespoons of olive oil with kosher salt to make my own natural face exfoliator. It worked! For two nights, I gently scrubbed my skin with this two-ingredient miracle, and topped off my face with a light layer of olive oil—so long, dry skin! (And just in case you're wondering, no, spreading olive oil on oily skin won't result in breakouts.)

Before I resort to buying a new product to treat the skin care trouble of the day, I’m going to take a look in my cupboards for natural solutions. Keep your bathroom and kitchen stocked with olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, kosher salt, essential oils, honey, tea, lemons and cucumbers—all of these little wonders will work magic on your skin. Stay tuned for more recipes with these natural ingredients. I have some great ideas for deep conditioning your hair, de-puffing your eyes and drawing out impurities from your skin.

3. Wear sunscreen every day.

Yes, even in the dead of winter, the sun’s powerful rays can penetrate your skin and leave you with a sunburn (think of all that sunlight reflecting off of the glistening white snow) and sun damage. Prevent sun damage by wearing a natural sunscreen every day in 2010. Find sunscreens with active ingredients zinc oxide and titanium dioxide; these are natural minerals proven to aid in sun protection. John Masters Organics makes an excellent, hydrating mineral SPF 30 sunscreen formulated with certified organic aloe leaf juice, jojoba oil, shea butter, green tea extract and calendula extract.

John Masters Organics SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen costs $32. Photo Courtesy John Masters Organics.

4. Purge my beauty stash.

Unlike wine, cosmetics don’t get better with age. Most makeup and skin care products don’t come with expiration dates, so it’s up to you to know when it’s time to let something go. This is even more true with natural beauty products formulated without preservatives. Here’s a general idea of when to get rid of beauty products:

• Cleansers/Moisturizers: Toss after six months. Active ingredients in natural cleansers and moisturizers will break down over half a year’s time, so be sure to only buy what you can consume in that amount of time. If you make your own cleansers and moisturizers, it's smarter to make them in small batches, for use within 24 hours.

• Liquid Foundation: Toss after six months. Foundation becomes thick and goopy, which makes for uneven application. Plus, liquid foundation is a breeding ground for germs and bacteria (especially if you dip your fingers in it or use a dirty sponge).

• Powder: Toss after two years. I don’t know anybody who has been able to make her powder last that long, but after a couple of years, powder can get dry and cakey. 

• Mascara: Toss after three months. Don’t chance it with makeup that can affect your eyes! Mascara (natural or conventional) can easily go rancid and dry up, so this one is an easy toss. Just look at the consistency when you take the wand out.

• Eyeliner Pencil: Toss after two years. Luckily, every time you sharpen your eyeliner pencil, you eliminate the old surface and any bacteria on it—just be sure to give your sharpener a good wipe-down with alcohol. 

• Lip gloss: Toss after a year. Lip glosses with wand applicators invite bacteria, and pots of gloss aren’t much better (unless you’re diligent enough to apply it with a lip brush or cotton tip every single time). Lip gloss can also become very goopy and sticky, so again, check the consistency before you apply an aged gloss. 

5. Exfoliate and moisturize more.  

It’s important, especially in winter, to exfoliate, slap on body oil and smooth in lotion—but it seems like a daunting, time-consuming routine every morning. It will be a little easier for me now with my Yes To Carrots Smooth Over Body Spa Kit. Instead of relying on my tired loofah to exfoliate my arms and legs, I can slide on this cute exfoliating glove, squeeze some Carrot Rich Moisturizing Body Scrub into my hand and slough away flaky skin from head to toe. 

Yes To Carrots Smooth Over Body Spa Kit costs $20. Photo Courtesy Yes To Carrots.

Once I’m out of the shower, it’s easy to pump a little Aromaflora Bath and Body Oil into my hands and spread it on my legs (while they’re still a little damp). Aromafloria’s USDA certified-organic body oil’s convenient (and hygienic!) pump keeps this step in my new routine a little less hectic. The oil is very moisturizing, so I can go without body lotion after this step. Just apply some lotion at the end of the day before you go to bed, and you should be set! 

Aromafloria Rosemary & Mint Bath & Body Oil costs $20. Photo Courtesy Aromafloria.

What are your green beauty resolutions for 2010?

Just in time for Christmas guests, I decided to try my hand at a little vegan, gluten-free baking. I’m not much of a baking princess, but Bob’s Red Mill makes it pretty easy to bake a healthy, fun treat. I deviated from the instructions on the package (I didn’t have any eggs, so I used applesauce instead).

The total prep time for these cookies was about 15 minutes, and the total baking time was 15 minutes. Talk about an easy, 30-minute meal (yes, sometimes I eat cookies for dinner—doesn’t Santa do the same?)

Purchase Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie Mix for $3.79. Photos By Kim Wallace.

Ingredients:

1 package Bob’s Red Mill Shortbread Cookie Mix
3/4 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup organic applesauce
2 tablespoons water

Preparation:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with canola oil, and put it aside for later.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl (I like my recycled plastic Preserve mixing bowls), beat butter for about 30 seconds. I used my Cuisinart hand mixer to make this a little easier. Then, beat in the applesauce and water.

Step 3: On low speed, beat in the cookie mix a little at a time. I put a half cup in first, beat the mixture, then added half the bag’s remains.

Step 5: After mixing that, I poured in the remainder and continued to mix until the consistency thickened.

Step 6: Spoon the mixture onto your lightly greased cookie sheet. I put a heaping spoonful for each cookie.

Step 7: Flatten out the blobs of cookie mix with a fork (similar to the way you would do with peanut butter cookies).

Step 8: Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for about 15 minutes. Watch for the edges to brown. That's when you know they are ready! Then, remove the cookies from the oven and place them on a cookie tray to cool. These are not the most beautiful cookies I've ever made (I'm not a baking princess, remember?)...

But they sure were tasty! I dipped my Bob's Red Mill Shortbread Cookies into some melted hazelnut and chocolate to satisfy my chocolate fix. You can enjoy your shortbread cookies with peanut butter, powdered sugar or granulated sugar (just sprinkle granulated sugar into your mixture for extra sweetness). Bob's Red Mill Shortbread Cookies are a light, delicious, dunkable treat. Without any additions, each cookie is about 100 calories—and if you add chocolate, like I did, you can probably expect to add on another 60 calories or so. Good thing Santa doesn't mind.

Merry Christmas!

It’s been a stressful few months. With the holidays, travel and decorating Blair House and the State Department in D.C., I’ve taken a break from my blog—but not from my skincare routine! I have a boatload of new products to tell you about, so I thought I’d start with one that I use every morning. 

For the past month I’ve been lathering up with a fun new foaming body wash. HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury Rosemary and Clary Sage Body Wash is made with certified organic essential oils and is packaged in a convenient pump bottle which makes lathering up super-easy. HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury Rosemary and Clary Sage Body Wash leaves winter skin gently cleansed and hydrated. It's made with a generous helping of organic coconut oil, which slides seamlessly onto your skin and leaves a light, pleasant scent.

Purchase 8.5 ounces of HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury Clary Sage Body Wash for $17. Photo Courtesy HollyBeth's Natural Luxury.

HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury Clary Sage Body Wash is made without artificial colors, fragrances, preservatives, parabens or sulfates and is suitable for vegans. Just be sure to recycle the plastic container when you're finished with the body wash!

Besides producing a great body wash, HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury supports philanthropic efforts, including breast cancer research, the Atlanta pet rescue, United Methodist Children’s Home and many more. HollyBeth’s Natural Luxury is also a member of the Organic Trade Association and is a signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. 

If you’re curious about other great HollyBeth products, check out Butterfly Lip Nectar (it’s out of stock right now—that’s how awesome it is!) and Marigold, Sandalwood and Grapefruit Organic Cleanser.