Hello Beauties!
Beginning today and continuing every Monday until the 22nd of December, I will be offering a giveaway to you!!! I’m so excited and honored to offer you these presents. With a grateful heart I offer a special thank you to the generous companies that are a part of this season of celebration, love and sharing. A few of the gifts are from me as well. xo
One random winner will be chosen and announced each Monday at 12:00 noon EST. Then get ready for next giveaway!
*CONRGRATS TO THE WINNER: Comment #18, Sophia!!!*
To help you get ready for the busy Holiday Season, I have picked a few of “the things I’m loving lately…”
I adore the Holidays. The feeling of being and celebrating with the people I love the most is indefinable. I also make sure to take extra special care of myself. With all the fun and special events, I know that I must keep my self nurturing routines at the forefront to keep me feeling healthy and balanced. In addition to my daily yoga practice what works for me is meditation, reading, writing, focusing on gratitude, and of course self pampering with natural and organic foods, beauty, & health products.
Let me introduce you to what I’ve been loving lately (and what you will win).
- A copy of one of my favorite reads. “Living Green A Practical Guide To Simple Sustainability”, by Greg Horn. What I love about this book is it guides you with simple steps to create a healthier and more fulfilling home and family environment. My favorite is Chapter 2: Sustaining Health from the Inside.
- Alba Botanica Good & Healthy Anti-Oil Weightless Face Moisturizer. “Your Power-Packed Skin Smoothie”. This instantly absorbed & water based milky moisturizer is loaded with vitamins and phytonutrients from Kale, Spinach, and Swiss Chard. I love this hypo-allergenic lightweight boost for my face and neck. With my sensitive skin I have to be really careful what I use to moisturize and my skin has adjusted very nicely!
- Yarok Feed Your Ends. Leave-In Conditioner for Hair. “Food for your Head. Good for the Earth.”
I’m a huge fan of all the Yarok products. So far everything I’ve tried has made my hair feel so healthy and nourished. This leave-in conditioner is packed with vitamins, minerals and essential oils that protect your ends from blow drying or heat styling. Yarok also helps supports efforts to protect the Amazon Rainforest. - Alba Botanica Hawaiian Body Cream. Kukui Nut Deep Moisturizing hypo-allergenic grand-luxe cream. Apply liberally to entire body, especially elbows and heels. Love this product so much. The Kukui nut is so moisturizing as well as nourishing for Autumn’s change in temperature. Chock full of the richest ingredients and the scent smells delicious.
- Alba Botanica Good & Clean. Fruit acid detox infusion. Daily detox foaming cleanser. Formulated for sensitive skin. I really love this product. The rich lathering cream breaks up oil and deep-set impurities. Hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic too. Powered by ten AHA-rich botanicals and partners with Green Tea and Rice in this detoxification and soothing refreshment.
- Pura Naturals Soap-Infused Sponge. Peppermint Volcano. I really love this take-anywhere sponge infused with biodegradable, vegan, and gluten-free soap! Activated with water for a robust lather. Comes in a three-pack which is really economical. Simply add water and squeeze multiple times. This sponge is infused with ground pumice and invigorating peppermint oil .Each Pura Naturals soap sponge is infused with plant-based cleansers and botanicals that are biodegradable. Not only are they great for our bodies, but also for the environment! The open-cell foam design exfoliates without the use of synthetic micro-beads and other harmful elements. They are available in: Active Charcoal, Eucalyptus Breeze, Lavender Mist (my favorite) and Citrus Splash and they even come unscented for sensitive skin.
- Portland Bee Balm. Unscented. I love love love this lip balm! Handmade in Portland, Oregon by beekeepers Brad & Anica. Their motto: Simple. Honest. Natural.
Supporting Local Bees & Their Keepers. The ingredients are simply: Local Oregon beeswax, organic cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil, organic California extra virgin olive oil, organic Oregon peppermint essential oil. *This last ingredient is not included in the unscented version. This is the smoothest gliding, richest formula, best smelling (I personally love peppermint), lip balm and I find myself admittedly addicted! I’m also a proud fan of supporting such a sustainably minded family company. Their displays are made by a Portland Woodworker, the ink is soy-based and they don’t use paper for the labels. Instead they chose non-pulped wood designed by local artists. They do so much to support other local small businesses! This is a super company and what a perfect example they are for ethical and sustainable business practices. - Beautifly Pure Facial Soap. Rose Clay & Oatmeal. This wonderful family owned small business was established in March of this year. Azalia and Tim Canan parents of three young children came up with the idea of making their own natural soap after two of their children suffered from eczema. They realized it was hard to find products that wouldn’t irritate their children’s sensitive skin.The Rose Clay & Oatmeal soap has these ingredients: Olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, distilled water, coconut milk, sodium hydroxide, mango butter, grapefruit & orange essential oils, oatmeal, rose clay and kaolin clay. Their products are handmade in small batches, are vegan & cruelty free and they have an impressive line of natural soap, facial soap, lotion bars, 100% natural hair serum and natural sugar scrubs. As I’ve said before, I love to support family owned and operated companies and Beautifly Pure is a great one.
- Organic India Tulsi Holy Basil Tea: (2) Honey Chamomile & (2) Vanilla Creme. Love these Caffeine Free and Certified Organic teas! Tulsi is considered “The Queen of Herbs” and is revered as a sacred plant infused with power. It possesses wonderful health benefits that support the body’s natural immune system while relieves the body’s negative reaction to stress. I find it mildly relaxes me and I have this tea daily. I’m a huge fan of the Rose and Jasmine flavors as well.
- Pacifica French Lilac Solid Perfume. Pacifica has some of my favorite scents. This particular blend was perfumed in a traditional French style, fresh with a blend of Lilac, Magnolia Leaves, Heliotrope, Ylang Ylang, Hyacinth and subtle notes of Nectarine. In a base of all natural coconut and soy wax. 100% Vegan, too! And “yes”, I know it’s Autumn, but I still love to occasionally wear light floral luscious scents in the daytime.
***
So how do you win?
*Tell me in the comment section how you keep yourself balanced and healthy in this upcoming Holiday season. Any “extra” efforts or secrets that you want to share?
*Then Like the following on FB & IG
- Alba Botanica , @albabotanica
- Yarok Hair , @yarokhair
- Pura Naturals , @puranaturals
- PortlandBeeBalm , @portlandbeebalm
- BeautifulyPure
- BeautyByBritanie , @beautybybritanie
Blessings to each one of you and take extra care of yourself with these gifts!
XO Good Luck Everyone
beautybybritanie.com 
oh man. i have a really stressful job so staying balanced year round is key—especially around the holidays! firstly, i try to nourish my body with foods that energize and make me feel good! next, i try to take 10-20mins to myself everyday to move whether it’s a short walk or gentle yoga. it’s incredible how much better i feel once i have some activity instead of collapsing on my couch all night first haha. lastly, scents! i use a sandalwood body lotion by pacifica before bed at night and i swear it just soothes and calms me right into dreamland 🙂
The first pick-me-up would definitely be spraying rose water on my face, it’s refreshing and smells exquisite (thanks Britanie for bringing it up in her blog over a year ago). I always take time for myself, whether it’s a nap, going for a jog, or taking a dance class. Any type of workout is great to relieve stress. I try to stay positive by reminding myself of what I’m grateful for and show compassion by reaching out to a friend or loved one and sending them a nice note via text/email.
Staying active is so important to me. Lot’s of hot tea and taking some time for myself are also important for getting through the holiday season.
I’d love to try Yarok and Portland Bee Balm. Such great picks. During the holiday season, I do have a tendecy indulge but will try to stay focused and on-task by starting my day early and having a priority list for that day with set guidelines. This is how I stay most efficient and productive.
I really try and use scents and lighting to help keep my bedroom a really tranquil place at night, for me the key to keeping the stress down is getting enough sleep! I also drink a lot of tea, and winter is the best time to curl up in front of the fire with a nice pot and knit! The routine of making and serving tea is incredibly calming, and taking a moment to just focus on a routine is wonderful!
Hmmm. During the holiday season it’s always a struggle to stay away from those bad foods! I’m already so broken out from all the dairy I’ve been sneaking when I shouldn’t! Also I’m a huge hot tea person (really all year round) but it only worsens during the winter. I really need to find a good moisturizer for winter though. Even though I have oily combo skin it still gets dry when it’s cooler outside.
Oh, what a nice giveaway! Cannot pass that up.
In my country, Christmas is not such a big deal, so I do not have to make big changes. The only thing is that it gets reaallly cold here and I love to walk, but I tend to do less of that in the cold. So I have to remind myself to still go walking even if its cold.
Having a cup of hot herbal tea in the morning and journaling helps me start the day right any time of the year:)
It is hard to be balanced when you have two children and a job, but not impossible. One way I try to be balanced is by trying to plan ahead. For instance, getting the clothes ready for the next day by picking them out at night. So when we get up that is one less thing to worry about. During these cold months I like to keep my skin extra moisturized by using Pai Rosehip oil and a moisturizer. And by using a scrub every other day to remove dead skin cells and following it with a manuka honey facial mask.
Thank you for the giveaway! 😃
I try to make healthier versions of the foods I love, especially the sweets, and this is the season for them! Also to remember portions.
i get massages once a week and ride my bike 7 days a week to work in all types of weather
I drink lots of tea, don’t over-extend myself with obligations, try my best to give back, and cut down on buying of all stuff as much as possible. I want all gifts to be things people will actually use and like A LOT. Also making healthy comfort foods and keeping self-care routines like juicing and exercise,
Oh and pampering myself with natural skin care and make-up of course 🙂
I make tons of vegan side goodies. It’s so important to me to keep the table full of love,even if most of the family still eats meat. One day I’ll host my own 100% vegan thanksgiving ,and hopefully inspire others to do the same .Also i have planned to put together an amazing and completely vegan picnic for some who are close to me .Even if not everyone’s vegan or vegetarian,you can always find great tasting stuff that they’ll love!Give love ,take love ,it’s a beautiful thing .
Following all wonderful account on Fb and IG
I try to work out more than usual, burns off the added stress:)
Hi Britanie, Thanks for having this giveaway. I drink loads of water and green smoothies. When I feel a sniffle coming on, I’ll diffuse a bit of thieves oil around the house. I also try to get shopping done online to avoid the crowds and holiday madness.
I’m not sure if this is open to Canadians, but just in case: I make it a priority to get enough sleep. I find that even if I let the nutrition slide a bit over the holidays, being well-rested keeps me feeling good.
I also drink a lot of tea.
I’m lucky — I’ve set the bar very low in terms of what others expect from me around the holidays. I don’t decorate much, and I don’t entertain at home. Sounds like a scrooge, but it keeps me sane. Also, my gift exchange list is small. That keeps the madness (and the finances) in check.
The holidays can definitely be a stressful time sometimes, but staying active is one of the important ways I like to stay balanced and healthy. I try to vary between yoga, running, or just an at home workout. I try to drink lots of liquid, which mainly consists of hot tea, especially with the cold days.
One of the last ways I stay balanced is taking some time for myself. I make sure I get well rested, stay on a healthy, balanced diet, and pamper myself with an at home spa or bubble bath once in a while (:
Hi Sophia, You WON MY GIVEAWAY! I am sending you an email now 🙂
What helps me most is that I have to walk our dog twice every day. Helps to refresh your skin and mood. So I can only recomend to have a dog!
By the way: The links to follow pura naturals are both not correct.
lovely giveaway Britanie! I love Pacifica and also Yarok products – the scents of them are so lovely ♥ I don’t really expect much around the holidays, but I love the scents of fireplace smoke on cold air, rainy days, sleeping in on cold weekends, and drinking hot tea, coffee and hot chocolate or cinnamon tea (sooo amazing! no sugar needed 🙂 ) I try to eat well around this time, though it’s difficult with all the chocolate and sweets around! ♥
I always to try to schedule time in my phone for myself. If I actually have an appointment booked for meditation, yoga, or an at home facial I’m much more likely to stick with it. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!!
I love to bake healthy versions of vegan treats for my friends and drink lots of warm tea. I also love to take more hot yoga classes and try to stay on my regular sleep schedule!
I make sure to exercise a few times a week, cook for fun (which also helps me to know what “sure thing” recipes I can make for get-togethers), and I’ve started putting together holiday shopping lists now, so I can handle it all at a leisurely pace and have fun with it!
One of the greatest ways to de-stress for me and get back into balance after a long day is to go for a nice walk with my puppy 🙂 Luckily we live right next to the river delta here in Helsinki, it’s very calm and beautiful and lots of fresh air. Afterwards, sauna (once a week), herbal tea (jasmin so far is the favourite), vanilla-scented soy candle, a good book and some night sleep balm with lavender on the pulse points.
to stay healthy – just being outdoors as much as possible and as active as possible, lots of fruits, greens and proteins and as an extra add-on – Weleda buckthorn concentrate or basically any buckthorn juice at this time of the year. i also eat a spoon of bee pollen (brought from my granma’s farm) with my breakfast every day. Greets from Scandinavia!
Some things that remind me to be present each moment, grateful and love big….. Hot water with lemon, walking my dog in the sunshine and leaves (I have a ginger pitbull too 🙂 ), consciously telling the people that I care about I love them, painting, lighting up my favorite holiday scented candles or throwing logs in the fireplace….
Lately I have really been loving a brand called nourish organics I found at my local whole foods. I can’t even believe how affordable they are with most of their ingredients being USDA certified and nothing has irritated my skin in the least- particularly their face lotion and face cream have been saving my combo mostly dry skin this fall!
I make sure I don’t skip workouts, and stick to tea in the morning 6 days out of 7. Helps my immune system!
My wintertime ritual is pretty simple… Lots of tea, warm, cozy clothing, and extra moisture for my hands, face, and body. I also try to plan out holiday events and gift-giving early. Sometimes I get a little down during the cold months, so I make sure to take care of myself and be patient. 🙂
Everything in moderation! Treats shouldn’t be ignored, because then you might over indulge after depriving yourself. Drinking extra water and not skipping those workouts.
This winter I’m working on drinking lots of water! In all the business of the season I forget to, and become very dehydrated. Also, doing regular lips scrubs and wearing lots of chapstick helps my dry lips.
Mine aren’t really secrets, but just simple pleasures: comfy sweats, a warm, cozy blanket, a cup of Yogi Calming Tea or organic/fair trade drinking chocolate with Dandies Marshmallows sprinkled on top and of course, my kitty cuddled up next to me. I feel the stress melting away just thinking of this 🙂
I def try to make more time for yoga around this time of year! And drinking lots of tea! I find I always need to clear my head somehow 🙂
Fresh fruits, chia seeds and echinacea extract !
I try to enlist as many people as I can to help me out. Since everyone is more than willing, it ends up being a lot less stressful and everyone has more time to interact and visit with each other.
I stop and try to experience each moment because every day of life is a precious gift.
At least 30min ‘me time everyday is a must! Yoga, tea&candle, good book, bath.. 🙂
Wow! Everyone has such great ideas. During the holidays, I try to set aside some me time. I enjoy sipping on a cup of tea while listening to music. Yoga has been keeping me balanced and calm while also keeping me energetic. Thanks for doing these giveaways! (: