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Monday, February 23, 2009

The Body Shop® Blog

The History of Hemp
Posted: 23 Feb 2009 09:40 AM CST

Way back in the 90’s, when The Body Shop first launched our line of hemp skincare products, the press went a little crazy, thinking we were endorsing the use of marijuana. The story made headlines in the UK and other parts of Europe, but what news sources didn’t realize at the time is what an amazing sustainable ingredient that hemp is. More importantly, they didn’t realize that hemp is not marijuana. Hemp requires no pesticides to grow, and it re-grows just like grass: if you cut it down, it sprouts back. Hemp’s presence as a highly durable and renewable resource has long been overshadowed by its relationship to marijuana, but hopefully, some of the info you’ll find here will clear up the confusion.
Hemp Origins & Facts
Hemp is an annual herb with distinctive long stalked, serrated leaves. Its fruit is a shiny greyish-green achene (‘hemp seed’). Native to Central Asia and India, hemp is widely grown in other parts of the world for its tough fibers and seed oil as well as its medicinal properties. Hemp was probably first cultivated in ancient China and was brought to Europe for growing in the early 16th century. The restrictions on growing hemp vary from country to country.
Hemp cloth has long been used as an alternative to linen for its durability and accessibility.
In the USA, up until 1820, 80% of all textiles and fabrics for clothes, linen, rugs, drapes, quilts, sheets and towels were made from hemp.
The great writings of Confucius were transcribed on hemp paper. Due to the fact that hemp paper doesn’t turn yellow or brittle, the great philosopher’s wisdom was passed from generation to generation.
Hemp can be a high performance substitute for a literally thousands of materials and products, including wood, cotton, soya and petrol.
Levi jeans were once made out of hemp sailcloth and rivets for the California gold-rushers so that the pockets would not rip when filled with gold.
Hemp & Health
Not only is hemp a valuable resource when it comes to textiles, but the health benefits of this misunderstood weed are advantageous to humans as well as the Earth. Hemp provides a healthy, cheap, safe alternative to the planet’s fast dwindling resources, particularly fossil fuels. As a crop, hemp is very low maintenance, needs relatively little fertilizer, does not deplete the soil of its nutrients, has few predators and can be grown in most climates. This means that farmers will use less fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide, all of which have polluted ground water and river systems.
What’s more is that hemp is packed with nutrients and essentials for human health. High in protein, just a handful of hemp seeds contain enough to fulfill the daily requirement for adults. Hemp seed oil also contains all 21 amino acids, including 8 essentials that can’t be produced by the adult human body.
Hemp seed oil is not only a terrific byproduct of hemp for economical and environmental reasons, but as an amazing component in maintaining heart, skin, and brain health. Hemp seed oil contains some of the highest known levels of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) in the plant kingdom. UEFA’s are fatty acids that are essential to the human body for growth and healthy living. These fatty acids are effective health benefactors that can show a decrease in inflammatory and heart diseases.
For skin, hemp oil has a variety of benefits. It can help soothe dry skin, alleviate symptoms of eczema, and protect against nature’s harsh elements. Dry skin is considered to be deficient in essential fatty acids. The topical application of hemp seed oil helps to immediately condition skin and help prevent moisture loss, providing an extremely efficient method of tackling the problems associated with dry skin.
We’re proud to use hemp oil in our skincare products, because of its economical benefits to environmental and human health. Despite the fact that hemp is useful in so many different ways, it still remains illegal to produce in many places including the United States. Maybe with a little education and more tolerance, this wondrous weed can eventually beat the misconceptions and be seen in the light that it deserves.

For those wondering "why body butter bliss? well...

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Have you ever tried them?!? The Body Shop has a wide range of Body Butters that are perfect for all skin types. If you have normal skin or extremely dry skin or something in between, you know that you can find something for you. I started using Body Butters from The Body Shop years ago, and I'll never go back to anything again.

Did you know that The Body Shop was the first company to create 'Body Butter'?!? Sure, they are all over now, but let me tell you why you want to by Body Butter from The Body Shop.
Do you know what Community Trade is? Community Trade is The Body Shop own Fair Trade program. This is one of The Body Shop's five core values. Everything that the company does revolves around the core values.

Quoting from The Body Shop International:
We believe in buying the highest quality natural ingredients and handcrafted products, from the best people, for a fair price. In a nutshell that's Community Trade.
Working with marginalized communities the world over, Community Trade provides a fair, reliable wage to our suppliers, business advice should they want it, and the respect they deserve. It's about forming long-term trading relationships, so families can build futures, plus sustainable benefits to their communities as a whole, so they can build wells, schools, or whatever they decide they need the most.
What's more, we know exactly where each nut, fruit, or oil comes from, how they were harvested and, probably, by whom. So we always know it's the best we can buy.
Community Trade means our money is spread more fairly across more people, from more communities, in more countries. As a pioneer of fair trade we know the difference it can make - we've been doing it for 20 years. Today over 15,000 people in 24 countries around the world benefit.

Each Body Butter from The Body Shop contains at least one Community Trade ingredient. You can feel good about buying your Body Butter from The Body Shop because money directly from the sale of your Body Butter goes right back to the community who supplied The Body Shop with such fantastic ingredients.
My recommendation (this time of year) is to try the Brazil Nut Body Butter, my personal favorite. It's perfect for Winter's dry skin. It smells a bit like roasted marshmallow. The Brazil Nuts come from about 8 tribes of Kayapo Indians in Brazil.

Another great thing about The Body Shop is that they do not test on animals. Grab your containers at home and see just how many of them say, 'Finished product not tested on animals'. Think about it. What about the product ingredients? What happened PRIOR to the product being finished.

When you buy your Body Butter, you know that it will moisturize your skin for a good 24 hours. As you get out of the shower in the morning and put on your Body Butter, you'll know that when you climb into bed at night, your skin will still be super soft and hydrated. You won't regret it!

So what are you waiting for? Try some today and let me know what your favorite is...that is if you can actually choose just one ;p

Shop 24/7 at www.thebodyshopathome.com/web/stefini your skin will Thank you!



Oh my ...YUM!!!

Sunday, February 8, 2009



Caramel-Drizzled Brownie Hearts

Love brownies? Here's a special way to love every chocolaty crumb.
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 2 hours 15 min
Makes: 12 brownie hearts


1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1 bag (14 oz) caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with foil. Grease bottom only of foil with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil and eggs. Bake as directed for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.


2. Using foil to lift, remove brownie from pan. Remove foil. With deep 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 12 brownies.


3. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and whipping cream uncovered on High 1 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until caramels are melted.


4. Arrange brownies on serving plate. Drizzle caramel mixture over brownies. Sprinkle with pecans. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions on brownie mix box for 13x9-inch pan.


Make the Most of This Recipe With Tips From The Betty Crocker® Kitchens
Variation
Make double-chocolate brownie hearts by drizzling with chocolate syrup instead of the caramel.



Nutrition Information:
1 Brownie Heart: Calories 380 (Calories from Fat 130); Total Fat 14g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 220mg; Total Carbohydrate 59g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 38g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 3

What did we ever do without cellphones?!?

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Have you ever found yourself in a sudden networking situation, and NOT had your business cards or other business materials on you? Bet you had your cell phone though...

MyDropcard.com lets you easily share your contact info with your phone—for free!
Once you’ve registered and entered all of your contact information at the site, you’re good to go. As if that wasn’t cool enough, you can create two separate profiles; one for business and the other for personal contacts.

When you meet someone new, simply text “drop” and their email address to “41411″ and Dropcard will deliver your contact info directly to their email. You can even add your social network profiles on your dropcard (i.e. LinkedIn) or your blog.

Dropcard also has convenient text messaging shortcuts so you don’t have to waste so much time texting. For example, you can replace the “@” symbol when typing your friend’s email address with a space and Dropcard will know what you mean. And if your friend’s email is on Gmail, even better! Text “drop” and their email address without “@gmail.com” and you’re done. For more ways to cut your text time, check out more Dropcard shortcuts here.

Not only is this handy, it sure beats carrying 100+ business cards to hand out at a conference. On top of that, soon they’ll be offering users more features (i.e. personal logo, attachments, statistics, etc.) for $4.99 a month. That might be helpful for the hardcore networkers and a few DS "coaches" I know!!!

GREAT advice for every WOMAN...

A few days ago, I came across a thought-provoking blog by Patricia Volonakis Davis titled, “From an Older Woman to a Younger One.” while I was going through old files on my laptop.
I thought it was well-worth passing on for new audience to ponder...and I think my BFF will find #7 especially ironic! I LOVE ya E...you made the right decision!!!



—“From an Older Woman to a Younger One” by Patricia Volonakis Davis


1) You are at least ten times prettier than you think you are. That holds true no matter how pretty you already think you are! Don’t believe me? Ask your mother/auntie/grannie if she thought she was pretty when she was twenty. She’ll say, “no.” Then find a photo of her at that age. See what I mean?


2)The only thing you should be faking is confidence. If you don’t have it yet, pretend you do. In every new situation, pretend you’re not nervous, pretend you’re not afraid. After a few times doing this, the pretend part disappears.


3) Want to try something new, like painting, skiing, running your own business? Go to the library and borrow ten different books on the subject. Skim through them all, find the ones that have the most vital information and study them. Then see number 2.


4) No matter how old you get, remember what it was like to be a nine-year old girl. Remember the feeling of freedom. If you’ve already forgotten, do a cartwheel. You can so still do one. Savour that feeling. Wake up with it every day. You’ll stay young until the day you die.


5) In the same vein, cut or potted flowers are never a waste of money. Because every time we glance at them, they remind us how much beauty there can be in the world.


6) Speaking of money, starting right this moment, whether you’re twenty or sixty, you can change your finances around. Don’t leave someone else completely in charge,whether it’s your husband, partner, parents or banker. Become financially saavy. Financial independence gives you the freedom to walk away from many bad situations. How do you know you’re in bad situation? See number seven.


7) If your stomach hurts and you haven’t got a virus, you’re in a bad situation. Before you know what it is, your stomach always does. Give yourself some time to ponder what it might be that’s making your stomach hurt. Chances are you already do know, you just don’t want to believe it, for some reason. You can ignore advice from your friends, even your own brain, but you can’t ignore your stomach, because the stomach never lies. Oh, and by the way? - Drowning your stomach in alcohol won’t make it stop telling you the truth, either.


8) When meeting someone new and he or she seems to be behaving like an assh*le, show compassion first. If after you display your sincere compassion, they are still acting like an assh*le, walk away. If they follow you, call the police.


9) Wear sunscreen on your face, neck and hands every day, winter and summer. I don’t care how dark your skin naturally is. Wear it. You’ll remember me when you look in the mirror at age fifty. Always keep in mind that Your body is directly connected to your spirit. Look after your body. Exercise, floss and brush your teeth. Put nothing in your body that can permanently harm your spirit, including the wrong man.


10) And if you are in bed with a man and he’s the right man - meaning your stomach doesn’t hurt, he’s smiling at you, he knows your name, he’s not drunk and neither are you- for goddsakes- enjoy yourself. He is not at all thinking about how fat your thighs look.

Spring Gift with Purchase from TBSaH!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009



Yours FREE with a $60.00 purchase!
Starting January 24th you can get this cream-colored beauty bag, made using 100% soft-to-touch cotton canvas with a soft cotton lining features a rose design to complement our new Moroccan Rose Fragrance and Bath & Body Collection. It has two stud fastenings on the flap to ensure secure closure, and the metallic cream trim adds a touch of style.


What’s more, it’s filled with our mini beauty essentials: Strawberry Body Butter 50 ml, Divine Calm Shower Gel 60 ml, Vitamin E Moisture Cream 15 ml, Vitamin E Night Cream 15 ml, Hi-Shine Lip Treatment Perfectly Pink 6 ml, Moringa Shower Gel 60 ml, Pink Bath Lily.


Remember, last day for guaranteed V-day delivery via "standard shipping"
is Feb 5,2009

YUMMMMM...Order now for V-day!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Shake Your Bon Bons

What exactly is "Shake Your Bon Bons"? Well, it's the newest and tastiest candy boutique and affiliate program to hit the internet, that's what it is. Browse through my bountiful bonanza of home made, hand dipped bon bons. Cruise through a colorful collection of hand made crafts. Stop by and savor the selection of sinful coffees. Whether you are looking to indulge yourself or a loved one, I am sure I have something that will make your taste buds stand up and dance.
(orders must be placed by Feb 4th to guarantee delivery by Valentine's Day)

Traditional Bon Bons

When freshly baked cake collides with homemade buttercream then both are dipped in creamy chocolate, your taste buds won't know what hit 'em! This is my original candy recipe and it has proven to be so popular, I named my business after it!
The following flavors are available dipped in White Chocolate: Vanilla, Chocolate, Red Velvet, Pink Velvet, Mint, Cinnamon, Spice, Coconut, Pineapple, Banana, Strawberry, Lemon, Orange, Pumpkin Spice, Raspberry, Blackberry, Apple Cinnamon, Carrot, Eggnog, Root Beer Float, Chocolate Cherry & Gingerbread.
The following flavors are available in Milk Chocolate: Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint, Coconut, Pineapple, Banana, Strawberry, Orange, Raspberry, Blackberry & Chocolate Cherry.
The following flavors are available in Dark Chocolate: Vanilla, Chocolate, Mint, Coconut, Pineapple, Banana, Strawberry, Orange, Raspberry, Blackberry & Chocolate Cherry

$12.00/LB



DeLuxe Bon Bons

The same yummy mixture of cake & butter cream as my original Bon Bons, but these have an added little bit of "oomph". What is the little "oomph" you ask? Chopped nuts, crushed candies, dried fruit, crushed cookies, shaved chocolate...
The following flavors are available dipped in White Chocolate: Peppermint Crunch, Carrot Walnut Cake, Cherry Vanilla, Caramel Apple, Caramel Apple Crunch, Pumpkin Walnut, Cookies & Cream, Nutter Butter Blast, Banana Caramel, Banana Caramel Crunch, Almond Coconut Crunch, Banana Split & Blueberry Cheesecake
The following flavors are available dipped in Milk Chocolate: Peppermint Crunch, Cherry Vanilla, English Toffee, Cookies & Cream, Nutter Butter Blast, Peanut Butter Crunch, Banana Caramel, Banana Caramel Crunch, Almond Coconut Crunch, German Chocolate Cake, S'Mores, Banana Split & Black Forest Cake
The following flavors are available dipped in Dark Chocolate: Peppermint Crunch, Cherry Vanilla, English Toffee, Cookies & Cream, Nutter Butter Blast, Peanut Butter Crunch, Banana Caramel, Banana Caramel Crunch, Almond Coconut Crunch, German Chocolate Cake, S'Mores, Banana Split & Black Forest Cake
$15.00/LB


Snow Ball Bon Bons

A complete line of Bon Bons based on popular ice cream flavors. Who needs the ice cream man when you can have a little taste of summer all year round? Yummy!
The following flavors are available in White Chocolate: French Vanilla, Bubble Gum, Butter Pecan, Cake Batter, Chocolate Fudge, Cinnamon Spice, Lemon Custard, Orange Cream & Strawberry Chip.
The following flavors are available in Milk Chocolate: French Vanilla, Butter Pecan, Cake Batter, Chocolate Fudge, Mint Chocolate Chip & Black Raspberry Chip
The following flavors are available in Dark Chocolate: French Vanilla, Butter Pecan, Cake Batter, Chocolate Fudge, Mint Chocolate Chip & Black Raspberry Chip

$12.00/LB




Mocha Java Bon Bons

Talk about getting your caffeine fix! These little energy balls are made from freshly brewed coffee and dipped in chocolate. Coffee...Chocolate...Coffee...Chocolate. What could be better??? Well, coffee AND chocolate together, of course!
The following flavors are available in White Chocolate: Cappuccino, Cinnamon Orange Spice, Creme Brule, Hazelnut, Highlander Grogg, Irish cream, Kahlua, Strudel Cake, Tiramisu, Viennese Cinnamon, White Chocolate & White Russian
The following flavors are available in Milk Chocolate: Cappuccino, Chocolate Cherry, Hazelnut, Highlander Grogg, Irish Cream, Tiramisu, Viennese Cinnamon, Raspberry Cream, Chocolate Mint & German Chocolate Cake
The following flavors are available in Dark Chocolate:Cappuccino, Chocolate Cherry, Hazelnut, Highlander Grogg, Irish Cream, Tiramisu, Viennese Cinnamon, Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Mint & German Chocolate Cake
$15.00/LB




Bon Boozlers

Welcome to the "adult" section of my store! These little treats are based on popular shooter drinks and liqueurs and DO contain alcohol that is not cooked out during production, so these will pack a little punch. These make the perfect "after dinner mint". You MUST be 21 to purchase and you will be asked for verification before your product ships.
The following flavors are available in your choice of White, Milk or Dark Chocolate: Kahlua, Bailey's, Creme de Menthe, Hot Damn, Buttershotts, Creme de Banana, Creme de Cocoa, Godiva White Chocolate, Andes Mint, Oatmeal Cookie, Banana Cream Pie, Butter Bee, Double Chocolate & French Toast
$20.00/LB


Filled Chocolates
Rich, creamy chocolate filled with a variety of tempting tummy yummies.

Chocolate Barks
Rich creamy chocolate surrounds a delicious variety of stir-ins. Choose your favorites and savor the flavor!$10.00/LB

Jumbo Peanut Butter Cups
These jumbo cups are simply amazing! Rich creamy peanut butter surrounded by chocolate-these are the All-American treat. Choose from smooth peanut butter or studded with crispy rice cereal.$2.00 each

Bon Bon Covered Cherries
A new twist on an old favorite! I have taken maraschino cherries and surrounded them with vanilla and chocolate bon bon filling then dipped them in chocolate. Very tasty indeed!$15.00/LB




Fudge

Rich, creamy, and full of flavor. The 3 things most people look for in a good batch of fudge. You're in luck-my fudge has all 3 and more! My fudge is never grainy-always smooth and it simply melts on your tongue. Mmmmmmmm
$10.00/LB






Coffee

There's no better way to savor your home made candies than with a nice hot cup a freshly brewed coffee. What's even better? Buying 2 of each and sharing with your bestest bud! All coffees come in 1 pound bags and are freshly ground to order. Decaf coffee is made using the European decaffeination process. Choose from a wide selection of varietals, blends & flavors.
$14.00/LB





Flavor Syrup

Da Vinci's flavored syrups are the perfect complement to any hot or cold drink. These flavors mix thoroughly so the last sip is as good as the first! And they won't curdle your dairy products. All bottles are 750 ml (25.4 oz)
Available In: Almond*, Amaretto*, Apple, Banana*, Blackberry, Blueberry, Butter Pecan, Butter Rum, Buttered Popcorn, Butterscotch, B-52, Cane Sugar, Caramel*, Cherry*, Chocolate*, Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Malt, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cinnamon*, Coconut*, Coffee, Creme de Menthe, Egg Nog, English Toffee*, French Vanilla*, Gingerbread, Grape, Hazelnut*, Irish Cream*, Kahlua*, Lemon, Lime, Macadamia Nut*, Orange, Peach, Peppermint, Peppermint Paddy*, Pineapple, Pina Colada, Praline, Pumpkin Pie, Raspberry*, Root Beer, Strawberry, Sugar Free Sweetener, Tiramisu, Toasted Hazelnut, Toasted Marshmallow, Vanilla*, White Chocolate* Flavors marked with * are also available in Sugar Free versions.
$14.00


Visit Shake your Bon Bons here: http://shakeyourbonbons.com/Stefini_Dewan.html
Your tastebuds will THANK YOU!!!