Bath indulgence: Native Touch Deep Breath Bath Salts – I took a nice, long, hot bath with the salts when I was slightly snifflekins, and the powerful blend of euclayptus, lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil and peppermint [...]]]> Ready for another roundup of vegan must-have goodies? Me too! Let’s DO this! And my faves this week are…

 

Mama-to-be product: Honest Body Oil - This is from Jessica Alba’s baby line—how cool is that!? It’s completely natural, organic, vegan, and super safe for mommy and baby. This body oil, which I’ve been slathering all over myself (especially over my ripe preggo tum-tum) after nightly baths, is light, soothing fast-absorbing and it leaves my skin feeling silky smooth. It’s made with sustainably grown & certified organic olive oil, jojoba oil, tamanu oil, and sunflower oil.

Anti-aging product: Marula Oil from The Leakey Collection – First of all, this East African marula oil has higher levels of antioxidants and omega 9 than argan or grape seed oil (!!!). This mega potent anti-aging miracle oil is fast absorbing, light, non-greasy, and straight-up luxurious! There have been proven results with continued use—see for yourself! Bonus: The packaging and bottle the oil comes in gets an A++—gorgeous!!

Foodie find: Frozen Dried Persimmons from Trader Joe’s – Persimmons are nature’s candy, and I don’t say that lightly… I am NOT one of those people who turns to fruit when I want dessert, so take my word on this. Talk about a healthy treat—this handy-dandy box of yum-yums is like cold, sweet, fruity pudding—and it only has one ingredient—persimmons. SO good! Fingers crossed that TJ’s keeps this on their shelves forevah!

Book: Vegan Junk Food by Lane Gold – This gem is for kids, omnies, vegheads and all peeps in between! The 225 recipes in this book are guaranteed to make ya drool and go gaga for insanely delish pizzas, burgers, pasta, tacos, mac and cheese, you name it! I do wish the book had yummy food pics for every single recipe (I realize that’s pretty costly, though), but all is forgiven considering there are recipes for frickin’ Cinnamon Roll French Toast and corn dogs! SCORE!

What are your current favorite vegan things?

I got to sample these innocently intoxicating goodies, and lemme just say, I’ve become a [...]]]> When Lia of Stella Deer reached out to me about a VBR giveaway, I was like ‘hells to the yay-yeah’! I mean, c’mon, with such fab homemade goodies like beer soap and mojito lip balm, what preggo lady could resist?!

I got to sample these innocently intoxicating goodies, and lemme just say, I’ve become a huge, gigantoid Stella Deer fan! Everything in Stella Deer‘s Etsy store is handmade with 100% natural ingredients; cruelty-free; vegan, SLS-, preservative-, paraben-, and palm oil-free, and they donate a portion of all their profits to charity. ♥

These are the yummy treats I got to sample:

 

Beer Olive Oil Soap: Um, can we say genius? Little known fact, beer is an excellent moisturizer for the skin (and hair), and it has a sweet and nutty scent that perfectly complements the olive oil. My skin feels divine when I use this soap (just ask my hubsenstein)!

Mojito Lip Balm: Pre-preggo, I was all about the sweet and zesty mojitos (although I usually ordered them virgin-style then, too). This limey, citrus-y lip treat, combined with a bit of tingling peppermint (YUM), makes for the perfect tasty cocktail for your luscious smackers. It goes on super smoothly and provides a mega ton of moisture with its olive oil-infusion.

I ♥ these products so much that I want you to try out Stella Deer for yourself by entering to win a luxurious bar of Spearmint Eucalyptus Olive Oil soap (sorry, I used up all the beer soap, but the soap bar we’re giving away is uh-MAZING!):

To enter to win this fresh bar of minty soap, simply go to Stella Deer’s Etsy page and tell me which product(s) you’d like to try. All entrants must be residents of the US to enter to win. The winner will be chosen at random and notified on May 7th, 2012! Good luck! xx

Book: Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps, $15.99—In this fun, reader-friendly book/guide, Kim Barnouin breaks veganism down in a handy dandy, digestible way *pun intended* (btw, it’s perfect for newbs and forever-vegans alike). Whether you’re constantly on-the-go, [...]]]> It’s time for another weekly roundup of some of my favorite vegan goodies! Enjoy!

Book: Skinny Bitch Book of Vegan Swaps, $15.99—In this fun, reader-friendly book/guide, Kim Barnouin breaks veganism down in a handy dandy, digestible way *pun intended* (btw, it’s perfect for newbs and forever-vegans alike). Whether you’re constantly on-the-go, traveling or just the busy bee that you are, sections like “The Best Places for Vegans to Grocery Shop,” “Delicious Swaps for Your Favorite Dairy Products,” and “Top Ten Things to Eat While Stranded in an Airport” are going to make your life much, much easier (and healthier)!

Skin Care Product: Miracle Clay’s Moisture Intense Daily Lotion (grapefruit scent), $14.95—Velvety skin with the sweet, delicate scent of pink grapefruit? Count me in! This mega hydrating lotion contains more than 60 trace minerals, chamomile, yarrow and almond oil—all which nourish even the driest of dry skin—trust me, my skin has been gnarls since winter started and my body is so stoked to have this heavenly blend of moisture by my side (btw, it’s perfect for applying right after a nice, long, relaxing bath).

Hair Care Product: Use Me’s Cleanser for Dry or Course Hair, $29.99—Ain’t gonna lie, it’s a bit pricey, but this hair care product is magical. I constantly battle with dry, crusty-ass hair and this moisture-rich cleanser makes my hair super smooth without drying it out or making it limp. This product is especially focused on infusing the scalp with extra love, since that’s where healthy hair begins. Don’t expect a sudsy, foam festival either. Embrace its understated yet highly effective formula and simply enjoy the results. It’s pH-balanced, sulfate & paraben-free (←’tis a big deal), and of course, vegan (smells nice, too).

Makeup: Naked Eye Beauty’s Peachy Glow Mineral Blush, $11—I always have a hard time finding blush shades that gel with my skin tone. I’ve got lipstick and eye shadow shades down, but I’ve been guilty of clowning up my visage by rockin’ all sorts of wretched reds and purples (yes, purples!!) on my cheeks. Lol, less is more… I’ve learned that a subtle touch of color can make a WORLD of difference. I ♥ this peachy glow blush… like a lot. I honestly feel like it would look amazing on any skin tone. I love the way it feels on my skin, too.

Lip Product: Naked Eye Beauty’s Rose Tinted Lip Balm, $8—I ♥ the subtle hint of rosey lip color this vegan tinted lip balm provides. It also goes on effortlessly and makes my smackers feel über nourished! It’s made with soothing sweet almond oil, creamy mango butter, nourishing coconut oil, Vitamin E oil, and it’s flavored with passionfruit rose (yum!). Bonus: you can use this rosey balm for a bit of cheek color, too. Definitely a purse staple, ladies!

Bedroom Accessory: KM Fantasy Candle, $14.99—Dim the lights, grab your beau and enjoy a relaxing, romantic massage! These massage oil candles melt down to a fragrant, sexy massage oil and are made from top-grade soy and jojoba oils. Scents to choose from: Luscious Lemon Soufflé, Arousing Chocolate Mint and Euphoric Coconut.

Vegan Food: Gobble Green’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars, $9.99 for 4 bars—I’m gonna be bold and say this may be the BEST vegan dessert I have EVER eaten. It tastes just like peanut butter cups but better. It’s so smooth and creamy and it literally melts in your mouth. Put this on your foodie bucket list fo’ shiz! P.s. It’s nice that you can just order it online and it’ll show up right at your door (I personally like to privatize while I gluttonize).

Fun Monthly Goodies: Green Grab Bag, $15/month (includes a minimum of 6 beauty samples)—This monthly subscription sample service brings you all sorts of natural and organic beauty products for a super chill monthly fee. It’s a great way to try products before droppin’ some serious $$ (and it’s fun)!

Which vegan products have you been rockin’ lately?

Skip dyeing Easter eggs (aka chicken periods) this year and instead rock some colorful bath sudsies with LUSH bath bombs—holla!

LUSH has some supa-dupa cute vegan Easter goodies this year that’ll perfectly complement the vegan chocolate bunnies in your cruelty-free Easter basket. [...]]]> Easter’s this weekend, and you know what that means: chickies and li’l bunsies galore… vegan-style, that is.

Skip dyeing Easter eggs (aka chicken periods) this year and instead rock some colorful bath sudsies with LUSH bath bombs—holla!

LUSH has some supa-dupa cute vegan Easter goodies this year that’ll perfectly complement the vegan chocolate bunnies in your cruelty-free Easter basket. Chickity-chick check out their eggciting new bath treats:

Hippy Chick, $4.95: This gorgeous-smelling grapefruit, bergamot and frankincense fizzy bath bomb is redonkulously cute! Need. Want. Gimme, gimme!

Carrot Top, $7.95: Can’t take a bath without bubbles? Me neither! This bodacious bubble bar is my FAVE ’cause it’ll turn your bath into a fruity, frothy, lemon-y, buchu-y scented foam festival. YUM! It’s also good for 7-10 baths—so you can savor this fruity vegetable delight all week long!

The Immaculate Eggception (yellow or pink), $12.95: When I first saw these, I was like “Get the f*ck out!! How is it that LUSH keeps outcuting itself?!” These fizzy egg-shaped bath bombs each contain a secret surprise… perhaps a bunny or a chickie-poo—you’ll just have to crack the Bath Bomb shell to find out! This one can be used all at once, or each bit used for separate baths–so one could last you three baths (←that’s how I like to roll)!

 

Bunny Knot Wrap, $5.95 & Chick Knot Wrap, $4.95: You’re all stocked up on LUSH products, now what? Pimp up your gift-givin’ style with these cutie patootie bath bomb/bubble bar warps—totally adorbs!

 

Which kind of vegan goodies will you be treating yourself to this year?

If you haven’t yet tried Mattify! Cosmetics, lemme quickly summarize why this mineral makeup is top notch awesomeness x12!

Yep, this nasty, [...]]]> When it comes to stuff that you put in your mouth (that can easily be ingested), you definitley want to steer clear of funky chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients like Tripotassium citrate monohydrate and Sodium Monofluorophosphate, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Polyethylene Glycol 1500 (PEG 1500), Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Titanium dioxide, Sodium saccharin, Trisodium phosphate, etc… na mean?

Yep, this nasty, nasty shit is in most conventional toothpastes. Bummer, huh? Well, take control of your health and get your pearly whites lookin’ their pearliest by makin’ your own simple and cheap DIY toothpaste. You’ll never wann go back!

DIY Toothpaste

• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 3-4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 2 tsp. peppermint extract or 10-15 drops peppermint essential oil
• Unrefined coconut oil (add to desired consistency)
• 1 Stevia packet (optional)

Mix all of these ingredients together until the mixture’s as thick as you like it, and then store your toothpaste in a small jar.

Be sure to check out my DIY teeth whitening recipe, too!

Without further ado, my fave vegan goodies of the [...]]]> I’ve come across soooooo many kick-ass vegan goodies this past week that I’ve decided to do a quick li’l roundup! We’re talkin’ food, beauty products, cookbooks and more! My heart literally pitter patters with joy knowing that there’s a mega heaptitude of vegan awesomeness everywhere I go!

Without further ado, my fave vegan goodies of the week:

Healthy Snack: Navitas Naturals Blueberry Hemp Superfood Raw snacks—These bite-sized health nuggets are vegan and gluten-free, high in fiber and Vitamin C, contain super food ingredients like chia, hemp, maca, camu-camu and maqui, and are muy delicioso!

Vegan Food Find: Trader Joe’s Chickenless Crispy Tenders—These tasty finger foods are available at my fave grocery store, they’re affordable, and hella tasty! Dunk these bad boys in a vat of BBQ sauce and you’re golden! Psst… the soy in this product is non-GMO (in case you were wonderin’).

Hair Care Product: Salon Grafix’s Healthy Hair Nutrition Intensive Hair Repair Masque—This hair masque is mega thick and rich and does an excellent job at infusing moisture back into dry, crusty, chemically processed hair. It’s also sulfate-free, paraben-free, it doesn’t contain harsh chemicals or artificial colors, and it’s full of natural botanical extracts.

Skin Care Product: Hugo Naturals Brown Sugar Body Polish (Kumquat)—Spa session at home? Yes, please! Buff away dry skin flakies and enjoy the softest skin ev-ah with this nourishing and yummy sweet-smelling scrub. Kumquats are not only one of the cutest fruits on the planet, their citrusy scent inspires cheerful, happy vibes! Indulge!

Accessory: Jamberry Nail Shields – These nail decals last longer than nail polish (up to 2 weeks!) and they come in all sorts of funky designs. I like to just use ‘em on my thumbs as accent pieces (they last longer this way too). There are over 170 colorfully fun designs to choose from, however, the blue and red argyle ones kinda stole my heart! ♥

What are some of your favorite recent vegan finds?

Every chance I get, I’m taking bubble baths with fancy bath oils and bath salts, I’m rockin’ daily hand scrubs and face masks, and of course, puttin’ [...]]]> Now that I’m pregsenstein, it’s more important that ev-ah to get my pamperin’ on (especially before I’ll have to start getting little one’s pampers on*).

Every chance I get, I’m taking bubble baths with fancy bath oils and bath salts, I’m rockin’ daily hand scrubs and face masks, and of course, puttin’ my feet up and just straight-up relaxin’.

As mentioned in my previous preggo post, citrus-y scents have become my BFF—specifically orange! It’s not only refreshing, sweet, and calming, but it’s one of the few scents that doesn’t make me quease.

Just last night I indulged in some nice, relaxing tub time with orange scented bath salts from Simply Bath Salts, and it was heavenly. Seriously, I did not want to get out of the bath… even when the water cooled off, I’d just add a little more hot water so I could milk my ‘me’ time.

What I love about Simply Bath Salts is that they are organic, vegan, environmentally friendly, their salts smell wunderbar, and all the ingredients are mega pure.

Ingredients for the orange bath salts: Atlantic Sea salt, Dead Sea salt, Epsom Salt, organic Jojoba oil, organic Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) essential oil. 

I’m obvi a fan, and now I want you to try these out for yourself!

To enter to win a bag of Simply Bath Salts (scent of your choice), “like” Simply Bath Salts on Facebook and comment below with your favorite at-home spa treatment. All entrants must be residents of the US to enter to win. The winner will be chosen at random and notified on Friday, March 30th, 2012! Good luck! xx

*Note – I will NOT be using Pampers for my li’l munchkin… cloth diapers all the way.