Non-toxic adventures: Sunscreen (for face)

Okay guys.  This one was surprisingly easy.  I realize this is one of the few categories where I have a leg up in the non-toxic department.  Non-toxic sunscreen is high in zinc, which tends to make formulas really white.  On darker complexions, it can be hard to get this to rub in, but on me, naturally super-pale, this was a breeze!

(Non-toxic sunscreen in a nutshell: You want zinc and titanium dioxide, which physically block all the bad sun stuff.  The other stuff chemically blocks it and then you get all the chemicals all up in your business.)

I actually tried two (bought one for Travis and a different one for me), and have been perfectly happy with both options.

BurnOut - SPF 32
Per Anjali's suggestion, I picked up this guy at Whole Foods (same price as on Amazon):

 

:: burnout eco-sensitive with zinc, $17.99 for 3.4 oz ::

At first I thought $18 seemed a little steep for what is basically a drugstore sunscreen (let's face it: Whole Foods is nice, but you're buying your stuff at a grocery store...), but I feel like Neutrogena is $13 for 2 ounces, so this is fine.  It just seems weird to pay $20 for a beauty product at a grocery store.

What I like about it: SPF 32; crazy high zinc content (18.6%!); wears normally under makeup; is biodegradable and ocean safe (you won't kill the coral reefs!).

What I don't like about it: The bottle says to reapply every two hours.  Um... for real?  It's just not happening on a daily basis.  So I hope I've been okay with my normal weekday routine of: sunscreen, makeup, out the door... all day... the end.

In the meantime, I've also tried...

Burt's Bees Radiance Day Lotion - SPF 15

Well, it definitely has a dreamier name than BurnOut.  It's also more expensive.  (Although I think I found it on another website for $12 or $13 when I bought it.)

:: burt's bees radiance day lotion, $17.99 for 2 oz. ::

This sunscreen contains the ingredient "fragrance", which all in-the-know non-toxic peeps know is a dirty word.  (The perfume industry has made "fragrance" a trade secret, so it can be loaded with all sorts of crazy toxic chemicals and nobody has to disclose it.)  However, my understanding of the Burt's Bees brand is that they are really careful about what they put in, so I'm not too alarmed by this ingredient, given the brand.

Overall, I'd say this one feels more like your standard not non-toxic facial moisturizer/sunscreen, if you're a stickler for texture.  

I'll probably stick with the BurnOut for regular use, given its higher SPF and zinc content and my fair complexion, but I could see a world where I turn to Burt's Bees in the winter when it's drier and less sunny.  I also prefer the Burt's Bees scent, but don't mind the BurnOut one at all.

Have you tried any good sunscreens lately?  What about body sunscreens?

Book Review!: How To Be a Woman

When I read this article on Slate about Caitlin Moran's How To Be a Woman, I was stoked.  Here are a few reasons why:
1. The article described it as a memoir-slash-manifesto.  (I love memoirs.  I'm ... curious ... about manifestos.)
2.  It spent nearly a year on the top 10 list in England.  (A book about feminism... in the top 10... for a year???)
3.  The picture made Caitlin Moran look cool and funny.  (Spoiler alert: she is both.)

I loved this read.  It's fast and fun and doesn't feel at all preach-y.  Moran blends memoir that moves chronologically through her childhood to young adulthood to parenthood and, before you notice it, she's transitioned along the way into essay mode, and -boom!- we're in feminist/what-it-mean-to-be-a-woman-today territory. 

What's great about this book is that it's funny and entertaining as a book on its own, but it really gets at issues that matter to women (or, really, people) today without telling you what to do or think.  For example, one chapter is called "You Should Have Children" and talks about how motherhood makes you a stronger, more fearless woman who can get so much done and love deeply.  And the very next chapter is called "You Shouldn't Have Children" and explores how child rearing and motherhood sets women back and isn't a choice that should be a default for most women.  (Personally, I though it was great that our generation's new Feminist Manifesto was written by a funny, sassy, attractive, mother-of-two wife.  Not what I always think of when I think of a voice for feminism.)

Check it out and buy it for your best friend.

Hood to Coast

Whew - what a fun weekend!  I was lucky enough to participate in Hood to Coast for the second time in a row this past weekend.  Hood to Coast (aka "The Mother of All Relays") is a 199 mile relay in Oregon from Mt. Hood (Hood) to Seaside (Coast).  Teams of 12, traveling in two vans, complete the course with each runner completing three legs that range from 3-10 miles each.  During breaks (Van 1 has the first 6 runners who can rest during the next 6 runners' legs, and vice versa), you grab something to eat and try to take a nap in the van or outside in a designated sleeping field area.  The whole thing takes about 30 hours (faster if your team is fast).  It's kind of the best.

:: the route ::

Travis has participated for the past 6 years (and did a couple races before when he was a kid with his family... I can't relate to that kind of youthful athleticism, but it sounds awesome).  He's put together a team annually to remember his brother Ryan who passed away in 2007, hence our team name: R. Bowe.  (Team R. Bowe's 2008 race was chronicled in this documentary about Hood to Coast.)

I had never been a runner and had always supported from home, but in 2011, the team was a runner short, and I was able to train and step up to the challenge.  It.  Was.  So.  Fun.  Slash.  Cool.  So I had a total blast doing it again this year.

I was doing the first set of legs (so, legs 1, 13 and 25), which meant I was in the first van and got to kick the whole thing off.  Totally exciting and special.  (Also, these legs are the easiest in the race :))

:: this is where we started.  note the snow. ::

We had a 7:30am start time, so we woke at 4:45am to get to Timberline Lodge an hour early to check in.  Hood to Coast staggers start times based on your team's anticipated pace to try to ease traffic flow throughout the race (with about 1000 teams, there are about 2000 vans making their way across the route) and have teams finish in a semi-concentrated cluster. Starting earlier is nice because you finish earlier, so we were happy with our 7:30am time slot.

Somehow I didn't think to think about the fact that we were starting on a mountain and it might be cold.  It was 35 degrees.  Yikes.

:: this running top has a mesh back so you stay cool.  um, unnecessary. ::

I don't want to brag, but I will: my relay legs were the best.  I started by running almost 6 miles straight down a mountain (ow, quads).  After our van's first set of legs, we had a break in Portland and were able to take naps at a teammate's house.  I am very grateful for that bed.  My next leg was on the waterfront in the middle of Portland, which was very toasty but lovely.  After that, we had our break in a town called Mist, named such because it's, like, always, always super super misty.  Last year I slept outside and woke up wet.  (That was also the first time I'd ever slept outside.  It was fun, even though it was excessively damp.)  This year, I slept in the van and had the most intense 3 hour nap of my life.  My last leg was at about 3:30am, so I can't report on what it looked like, but it was very refreshing!

Since we were in the first van, we finished about 5 hours before our team crossed the finish line, which meant we had time to kill in Seaside, which is a sort of bizarre touristy beach town.  It was surprisingly sunny out for the Oregon coast, so we naturally decided to get breakfast in a very dark dingy bar.

:: bloody mary! ::

And then decided to try on leather vests in the leather discount shop.  Duh.

:: trying on leather vests with friends ::

And then, obviously, purchased them and napped on the beach.

:: i slept very well ::

And, finally, met up with our friends in Van 2 and crossed the finish line together.

:: team R. Bowe ::

Afterwards, we all went back to Portland, where I felt like I was living in an episode of Portlandia, only everyone was really cool and no one was creepy.  Think: cute house, awesome babies, friendly dogs, brew pub, pulled pork nachos, funky friendly dive bar with "Buck Hunter" in the back, funk band playing on the street, teen violinist playing at the brewpub, artisan coffee place run by a French lady, etc.

Can't wait for 2013!  Yay, Team R. Bowe!

Would you do a relay race?  Have you done any fun outdoorsy or athletic events lately?

Dear Summertime Santa: Sweater/Sweatshirt Wishlist

Dear Summertime Santa,

Can I please have two pullover sweater/sweatshirt type things?  I don't feel like paying for them with my own money, but I'd love them to arrive at my doorstep.

For weekend mornings at the farmer's market and lounging around:

:: lululemon rest day pullover ::

Summertime Santa, while we're talking, I'd also like to look as chill/hip/cool as this model does wearing a sweatshirt, purple leggings and a citron backpack.

And for weekend afternoons about town (and for some sassier work days):

:: jcrew french hen sweater ::

...and then I can hang out next to this picture in my living room.

I guess I like my birds wearing hats!

Non-toxic Adventures: Moisturizer (face and body)

So, as you can see, I'm obviously starting off easy here... first soap, then shaving cream, now moisturizer.

I'm saving the hard stuff, like mascara, deodorant and hair products for when I'm more experienced.  (Guys, I'm so scared.)

I've found a simple, super-natural solution for both facial moisturizer and body moisturizer that I totally like: oil.  Could anything be simpler?

Face
For face, I've been jamming on-and-off to Josie Maran's Argan Oil, and let me tell you... it's back ON folks.

:: josie maran argan oil ::

I really love this stuff.  I don't understand how it works, but it moisturizers without being greasy BUT also heals any blackheads/acne that are popping up AND helps to heal red spots.  I thought that was all a load of hooey before, but I am all these things: sensitive skinned, dry skinned, get a lot of little breakouts and have red marks (from the breakouts) that linger forever.  And I think my skin has been notably better since I started using the Argan oil regularly.  Miracles, I tell you.

A couple things to keep in mind:
1. It takes a while to figure out how much to apply, because it is oil, so it can feel greasy.  I like to use about 5 drops and rub it in really well, but I think everyone's skin is different.
2. A 1.7 oz bottle is $48, which feels like a lot to pay for a tiny vial of oil.  It lasts a really long time, I find, but it still is a lot.  If you want to just give it a try, there's also a 0.5 oz bottle (so cute!) for $14.  Which isn't even a bad deal.  In fact, on a per ounce cost basis, the 1.7 oz bottle should really only be $47.60.  So I guess I'm the big sucker here for owning the 1.7 oz bottle.
3.  This isn't a thing to keep in mind, but if you're into Argan oil, and still reading this (wow!), do you know of any equally good Argan oil that isn't $28 an ounce?  It seems like it shouldn't cost so much.  But I also don't want to look like a monster on my face, so... maybe this is the price we pay?
4.  When you read the directions, it says you can use it all over, including as a cuticle oil.  Um, no way I'm using a $28/oz oil on my cuticles.  Nice try, Josie.

Body
Somehow this bottle of Trader Joe's jojoba oil from, like, 4 years ago has managed to hang out in my bathroom, taking up some prime real estate.  Which is very strange, because I can't remember ever reaching for it... until I got on my non-toxic kick.

:: desert essence jojoba oil ::

Using oil as a straight-up body moisturizer seemed, well, ...greasy to me.  But I'd gotten a couple comments on previous posts extolling the virtues of oil (both as a shaving cream alternative and as a wonder moisturizer), so I thought I'd give it a go.  It's good, guys!

That's not to say it can't easily get yucky.  A little goes a long way.  I'd suggest starting with about a 1/2 teaspoon and see how far that takes you before adding more.  Don't slather it all over -- this isn't a deep tissue massage.  Just rub it in well until it's almost all absorbed.

Note: I have a feeling if your legs had any sort of tan in them, this would result in a really pretty healthy looking glow.  My legs are the color of copy paper, if copy paper was a tiny bit lavender, so I don't benefit from these glows.  But it sure does feel nice!

There are a variety of oils you could use for this purpose.  I've heard good things about coconut oil (including this post on Lululemon's blog), and I heard you can use it as an eye makeup remover.  I tried it, and it works pretty well, actually!

FYI, coconut oil smells like coconut, which isn't a bad smell, but is just a distinctive choice to make during your day.  I warned you.  (Also, the Argan oil and jojoba oil don't have any scent at all, which is both cool, but also disappointing, because it would be awesome if they smelled like Hawaiian flowers or something.)

Best Video of 2012 (and I don't even like videos)

I'm a little late on this one, but this is the best video of 2012, and I hate watching videos online. 

Kids.  Rapping.  A song they wrote.  About their favorite snacks.

According to this article, this amazing, amazing song is the output of a Minneapolis after school program for kids.  Adorable.  But also?  The rap is really good. 

And I need to learn the girl's moves.

Fall Books! Yay!

Flavorwire had a fun article this week about the most anticipated fall books. 

I'm particularly excited about these two:

Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (September 11, 2012)

I've always found my Michal Chabon reading experiences to be fat and meaty, emotionally stirring, but moving at a nice clip.

 

From Flavorwire: In another sweeping-but-specific American epic (think High Fidelity mixed with Middlemarch), Chabon tells the story of two families in Oakland — Archy Stallings and Nat Jaffe are clinging to a failing record store, and their wives, Gwen and Aviva, scrambling to keep their midwifery practice together. Enter ex–NFL quarterback Gibson Goode, the fifth-richest black man in America, and Luther Stallings, one-time blaxploitation action star, and a pair of teenagers variously in love and not in love, and blood, inevitably, begins to boil.

 

 The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (September 27, 2012)

J.K.!  I've got to say that I'm pretty nervous for this one.  I don't know a ton about J.K., but I love Harry Potter and wish her continued success.  I hope this is a lot of fun, but I don't have the highest expectations.

From Flavorwire: J.K. Rowling’s first book for grown ups (well, it depends on who you’re asking — we know a lot of adult Harry Potter devotees) is a black comedy about a seemingly idyllic British town in turmoil. And if there’s anything Rowling excels at, it’s British people in turmoil.

 

An aside: I used to never consider buying books in hardcover, but now that I have a Kindle, the price difference isn't as significant, and I don't need to lug around a monster-sized book, so I'm much more open to jumping straight into new releases now.  It's fun to be in on the literary dialogue early on!

 

Which books are you most excited about?  

Non-Toxic Adventures: Shaving Cream

Oh boy.  Folks, this is going to be quite the journey.  I thought I was starting super easy, and it's already moderately weird and jarring to go non-toxic.

As I said earlier, I already use and love Dr. Bronner's soap, so I had the general "body wash" category taken care of.  (Although I decided to branch out and try a new scent this time and bought Hemp Rose.  Don't do it.  When I bought it, I only saw the "Rose" part.  I think if I'd seen the "Hemp" part, I wouldn't have gone for it.  It smells like roses, but then... weird.  Won't be a repeat purchase.  For those of you considering buying Dr. B, I really like Citrus and Tea Tree Oil.  And Peppermint and Lavender smell exactly how you think they would.)

[A quick aside on Dr. Bronner's: I remember reading this article from Inc. magazine awhile back, which first got me to try the products.  I'd always seen them in stores but thought they were too hippy/kooky for me.  I recommend reading the article if you have a few minutes -- great explanation on the origin of the brand and how the business has adapted over the years.  I was particularly impressed with how Dr. Bronner's has helped to "clean up" the personal care industry, including playing a major part in getting Whole Foods to have stricter standards for the products it carries.]

Aaaaaaanyway, I decided to start with something that I thought would be an easy swap: shaving cream.

I'd picked up the Alba natural-y stuff before at Trader Joe's and liked it.  The only reason I hadn't been using it was that I don't get to Trader Joe's that often.  Also, I checked out the ingredient list, and I doesn't look that clean.  So I picked up good ol' Dr. Bronner's shaving gel. 

Sooooo... here's the deal.  It worked and felt fine, I guess.  But it was... weird.

Here's what my old toxic shaving cream looks like when you dispense some into your hand:

Like... you push some out, and it's a thick gel, and then it becomes a big glob of foam.  Normal.

And here's what the Dr. Bronner's shaving gel looks like when you put some in your hand:

Whaaaaaa?????  Is it a bronzer?  Is it an exfoliant?  What's even going on???????  If you rub it vigorously in your hands, it becomes something the sort of resembles a cream.  And as I said, it worked and felt fine.  I'll definitely finish the bottle.  (And if I don't get used to it, I'll keep looking.  I heard Tom's of Maine had a nice one, but a quick google search seems to indicate it's been discontinued, resulting in many broken internet hearts.)

So... we're moving along folks, getting more non-toxic every week.  But I think the big lesson is it won't be super easy, and there will definitely be many weird stops along the way. 

J. Crew Wha??

Dear J. Crew,

You're killing me.  I only just made peace with paying a full priced $69.50 for a button down shirt because yours are so cute and versatile, and now you're charging $150 for a cotton shirt?!?!  This is madness!  Stop!  Stop it! 

:: the $150 shirt ::

Book review!: Tiny Beautiful Things

After reading Cheryl Strayed's Wild for book club (totally good!), I picked up her other new book, Tiny Beautiful Things. 

Pre-Wild, a couple of friends had told me about "Dear Sugar," a super passionate, heart-felt, honest advice column that defies the genre of "advice column."  I had read a couple of Sugar's letters/answers, but they were a lot to take in on the internet midday and the habit didn't stick.  (Which, in hindsight, is really strange, because I absolutely love advice columns.)  I vaguely followed the story as Sugar outed herself as author Cheryl Strayed just as Wild was being released, but I didn't think much of it until Oprah went gaga for Wild which, in turn, made me read it.

Anyway, I loved it and was on a mother-daughter spa retreat in Arizona and needed another book and when you're on a mother-daughter spa retreat in Arizona, you just kinda think about life and all that kinda stuff and want to read an advice columnist's book.

:: cow, at the spa ::

Basically, I loved this book.  More than Wild.  If you already know "Dear Sugar," you can skip it -- it's a compilation of her columns, put together in an order that almost makes it read as a memoir.  By the end, I could think about any life question I had, and I knew what Sugar would tell me, and it felt comforting, like I had a wise imaginary friend!

I particularly liked her through-line advice of being able to feel and/or be two profoundly different things at the same time.  (e.g. You can be deeply sad but also very happy, and neither feeling negates or diminishes the other.)  This was echoed in a Yoga Nidra meditation class I went to at the spa.  All I remember before falling asleep for the next 20 minutes was this: "Feel your body heavy.  ...  Now feel your body light.  ... ... ... ... ...  Now feel your body both heavy and light."

Groooooooovy.

Good for: Anyone who wants to do a little self reflecting and thoughtful thinking.
Watch out for: Wishing Cheryl Strayed was a figure in your life.  Like, badly.

New obsession: Non-toxic beauty

Oh no.  I wish this had never happened... but it did.  I'm on a new non-toxic beauty/personal care kick.  Ugh.  The worst part is I know this will make me a super annoying person, kind of like this (ha) and when I went on my cleanse.

I blame Kerry.  She brought this on by doing three things in quick succession:
1.  She hired this great makeup artist for her wedding who only used natural/non-toxic make-up, and she was awesome AND the make-up looked/felt really good.
2.  She then gave me a Tata Harper sampler kit.  (Tata makes all her natural skincare products on a farm in Vermont.  Seriously.)
3.  And then to top it all off, she sent me this book:

(Yes, I realize this all makes Kerry sound really, really nice and not someone worthy of blame.  It's true.  She's the nicest.) 

No More Dirty Looks explains what's going on in all our beauty/cleansing products and to summarize: it's really scary and super-toxic and a lot of the ingredients should be illegal.

I will paraphrase the most disturbing part I've read so far:
Nicotine patches work because you put them on your skin and they give you weird dreams and make you not want to smoke.  Birth control patches work because you put them on your skin and it changes your hormones so you don't get pregnant.  When we put any product on our skin it gets absorbed into our whole bodies.  Ah!  Guys, we super need to watch what we put on our skin!

Sigh.  I wish I could go back to being ignorant.  But I can't!  I know too much.  :(

I've decided not to react by immediately throwing out everything I own but, as I run out of things, I'll replace them with well researched non-toxic alternatives.  I will keep you posted along the way.  (Fun, right?)

Quick tip: If you start to do some Google-ing to get to the bottom of this and start to get scared, don't freak out!  The book said the easy "quick fix" you can do this week is to replace your body wash/soap since that touches the most square inches of your body daily.  (Ditto if you slather yourself in a full body moisturizer.)

I personally really like Dr. Bronner's.  You can buy it everywhere (Target, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods), it's relatively inexpensive, and it smells nice, too!

Warning: You may start to use it and feel like it's drying.  I urge you to try it for two weeks and see what you think then.  I find that the texture of the soap feels different than moisturizing body washes... this is very liquidy and not at all creamy or viscous, but it doesn't actually dry your skin at all.

Book review!: The Age of Miracles

When I first told my friend Sarah that I was reading this book and liking it, I described it like this: "It's kind of a coming-of-age, post-apocalyptic novel."  And Sarah replied, "I don't like coming-of-age or post-apocalyptic novels."  Which is a totally fair point.  Both those things sound sort of insufferable if you're not in a sophomore English class.  But somehow this book makes it work.

The 11 year old narrator is a smart, wise, perceptive narrator, not a weird precocious kid narrator.  It makes you so glad you're not in 6th grade anymore.  So I'd say it's really just a smart, not maudlin coming-of-age story that just so happens to be set mid-apocalypse.  And that sounds fine, right?

Good for: People who liked The Lovely Bones, but could do without all the rapin' and murderin'.

Watch out for: Parts being a little slow, re-liking coming-of-age novels

California's influence on food trends

I saw this Gourmet article months ago and bookmarked it to remember... and here it is: Five Food Trends We Owe to California. 

I especially love the "Periphery of the Plate" trend (de-emphasizing meat as the center of a meal).  While I certainly crave a cheeseburger and a roast chicken semi-frequently, I am grateful that California cuisine really celebrates the side dishes.

Having grown up and always lived in California, I always assumed that eating like this was just... eating.  It's how my mom always cooked, how my friends' families cooked, and how I learned to cook.  Now I know the California diet is a point of state pride -- woo hoo CA!

:: ah, california!  tomatoes from the brentwood farmers market ::

Book Review!: Gone Girl

Have you read Gone Girl  yet?  If not, why not?  It's the "Call Me Maybe" of summer, except for books!

I read this for book club, and it was one of the few books we all super enjoyed reading.  It's kind of the perfect book club book -- fast read (you'll stay up late a few nights, for sure!) but smart enough that you don't feel dumb and plenty of interesting "huh?!/whoa!!" plot points/character moments to want to talk about over Pinot Grigio.

Good for: Ladies (of all ages) and dudes who don't mind reading a sort of "girl" book, book clubs, summer reading on vacation

Watch out for: an ending you might not be nuts about