This week’s special is a first for Garden Girl. It’s an amazing opportunity to try our Face It travel sized face kit for only $5 (with a purchase of $40) – that’s an incredible $24 savings!! We decided that this would be a great way for people to try the face care kits – whether you have never tried any of our face products, or have tried some but would like to try out the whole kit. Or maybe you would like to get it for a friend who hasn’t tried Garden Girl yet. Already a big fan? Well this is the perfect chance to get a set for your gym bag or your overnight bag!

Choose from two travel kits:

1) Oasis for Faces face wash for dry/sensitive skin (1 oz), Even Ste(pH)en toner (1 oz), Starting Over microderm scrub (0.5 oz) , and No Worries face cream for dry/sensitive skin (0.5 oz)

2) You’re Fresh face wash for normal/oily skin (1 oz), Even Ste(pH)en toner (1 oz), Starting Over microderm scrub (0.5 oz), and Nature Nurture face cream for normal/oily skin (0.5 oz)

All face kits come with a small card that gives you an easy morning and evening routine that takes less than 3 minutes. And of course, as with all Garden Girl products, the kit has no parabens, sulfates, petroleum products or phthalates! And if you want to swap products between the two kits – just let us know in the comments section.

To take advantage, simply go to:

www.gardengirlskincare.com/facecare

choose your travel face kit (along with $40 of your choice of other products) then use coupon code

JUN1

Enjoy – and don’t forget to let your friends and family know about our big offer!

Wow – I heard this on NPR tonight. Wild, isn’t it? I know it makes sense when you think about it but it’s really fascinating (and yes, a little icky…) to learn the details. Basically, researchers recently found that the human body has 10 times more bacterial cells than it does human cells. And the bacteria is different depending on where on your body it is found – turns out, your skin is basically like an entire ecosystem with “dry deserts” and “oases”.

These findings could result in new directions for understanding skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis. Read the full article to learn more.

There are so many zillions of bathroom cleaners out there now it’s amazing. But have you ever read the warnings on the labels? Ventilation, gloves, burns, poison etc. It’s crazy. While I admit that occasionally you need something stronger than a homemade, natural cleaner – most cleaning can be done surprisingly well with ingredients you have around the house. And I’m not talking just a lame attempt at cleaning, I mean really effective cleaning.

Here are some great tips for cleaning the bathrooms that not only will be better for the environment and your family’s health (think of the reduction in dangerous fumes) – but also better for your wallet.

Since white vinegar is the star of the show, I suggest buying a big ol’ bottle at a wholesale club. We have one in our kitchen, one in the laundry closet and one in the bathroom cabinet. It’s incredibly cheap and amazingly effective. And no- your house will not smell like pickles

1) Toilet bowl cleaning: Getting rid of hard water stains, odors etc can be a pain in the tush (so to speak). But actually – all you need is 3 cups of white vinegar. Toss that into the toilet bowl and leave it in there. If you want even more disinfecting add a few drops of Tea Tree oil. After it soaks for about 15 minutes, scrub with a toilet brush. If you need even more scrubbing action, you can use Borax. Borax is another amazing household cleaner- however you do need to be careful with it, as you would with some of the more typical cleaners. It can be toxic if it is ingested. Read more about how Borax cleans here. It’s very interesting, actually.

2) Tub + Shower Cleaning: I admit that sometimes this is where I bring in the big guns when necessary to totally get rid of mildew (which our master bath shower seems to breed despite all kinds of efforts on our part). But almost all of the cleaning can be done easily without the chemicals. Because of vinegar’s acetic acid, it breaks down and reduces things like soap scum, mildew and mineral buildup. Fill a spray bottle 1/2 with white vinegar and 1/2 with water. Spray it on and leave it on for 10 minutes or so. Then you can scrub if necessary or just rinse.

You can leave the bottle in the shower for daily spritzes to keep your shower clean and fresh and reduce the scrubbing for the next time. Spray it on then rinse it off.

To shine up the chrome and get rid of mineral build-up use either the vinegar spray or Borax (again – see the link above for Borax information).

If you have rust spots, make a paste of cream of tartar and water. Apply it to the stain then rinse off.

3) Mirror and Glass cleaning: There are a couple of options here. You can just mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Or you can add a few tablespoons of rubbing alcohol to the mixture – which helps it evaporate more quickly. If you feel like you need some extra power you can add a few drops (just a few) of liquid dish detergent to the mixture. Don’t add too much detergent or it will make it streaky. Whatever combination you choose will give you clean and sparkly windows, mirrors and chrome.

With all of these, don’t forget that they can still be dangerous in the hands of children. So clearly mark your bottles and make sure they are kept safe from small children. And do not mix them with any commercial household cleaners. There are so many dangerous combinations (like ammonia and bleach) that you can never be too safe.

This week our special is plain and simple – free shipping, with all orders of $20 or more. Time to stock up on your favorite paraben-free, sulfate-free, petroleum-free and phthalate-free products – without any thoughts about shipping costs!

Maybe it’s time to try a new product? Like Eye Can’t Believe It eye cream? This cream is rich and thick and incredibly hydrating – packed with shea, aloe and hyaluronic acid. Plus it has DMAE – a natural skin firming ingredient that helps to tighten skin and reduce sagging. Sounds good, right? This cream is not only good for eyes but for your neck as well. It’s a Garden Girl top-seller!

Check out Eye Can’t Believe It and all of the rest of the Garden Girl loot at www.gardengirlskincare.com

Then use this week’s coupon code:

MAY26 to have your order shipped for FREE – no shipping charges (with orders of $20 or more). This is valid thru Friday at midnite – so enjoy. And feel free to pass it along to friends and family that might enjoy the savings!

How much more proof do we need to show conclusively that Bisphenol A is a major concern and needs to be banned? A new study was just released by the Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives. The study was conducted by members of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (part of the Centers for Disease Control), Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School (although the study clearly notes that the results “do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”)

This study tested the BPA levels in the urine of 77 people after a week of consuming most of their cold beverages in polycarbonate bottles. For those of you who are not familiar with polycarbonate, it is the plastic that is typically labeled with #7 – such as Nalgene bottles and the big plastic bottles used for water coolers.

The bad news? The results showed that BPA levels rose 66% after just one week of drinking from the bottles. They state that “regular consumption of cold beverages from polycarbonate bottles is associated with substantial increase in urinary BPA concentrations irrespective of exposure to BPA from other sources.” Yipes.

So definitely throw out your polycarbonate bottles if you haven’t already. Use glass or stainless steel (watch for plastic liners too that can leach BPA) – or even #2 sports bottles if you have to use plastic.

This week, we wanted to offer a big discount on things that make great gifts. This time of year is often crammed with gift giving. Teachers who have worked with your child all year long. Friends and family who are graduating from high school, college or grad school. Not to mention the fact that there are seemingly zillions of birthdays!

So we have decided to take 20% off all of our gift kits! What better way to thank a teacher or congratulate a graduate than to give them a fun, pretty and pampering gift.

Choose from:

Piggies + Pointers - a fabulous treat that includes Zippity Do Dah peppermint foot cream, Hand it to You hand cream, plus cotton gloves, cotton booties and our Not So Rough foot smoother

Piggies in a Blanket - the perfect kit to keep tootsies in tip top shape for summer! Zippity Do Dah peppermint foot cream, cotton booties and our Not So Rough foot smoother

Pointers with Panache - keeping hands well hydrated and younger looking is easy with this simple kit. Our cotton gloves matched with the top selling Hand it to You hand cream

Bod Squad - a simple but always appreciated gift set. One bottle of lotion and one of shower gel in your choice of our fabulous essential oil scents: Chill Out, Alive, Jump Start or Mellow. Want to mix and match? Just let us know!

Face It! face care kit - a great gift for someone who is looking for incredible skin care that will help their skin look its absolute best. Four full sized essentials – Face wash (You’re Fresh or Oasis), Even Ste(pH)en toner, Starting Over microderm scrub, Moisturizer (No Worries or Nature Nurture). 2 sets are offered, but you can mix/match – just note it on the order.

Nitty Gritty Face Committee face care kit - a great starter kit with Face wash (You’re Fresh or Oasis), Even Ste(pH)en toner, Moisturizer (No Worries or Nature Nurture) and our pink terry spa headband. Again, 2 sets are offered, but you can mix/match – just note it on the order.

Ok – now that you see all these great offers, it makes it even more inviting doesn’t it? Why not grab something for yourself as well! The face kits are already a fantastic deal – adding 20% off makes it almost a steal. And because it is all free of parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and phthalates you can feel great about giving it as a gift – or using it yourself!

Just go to:

www.gardengirlskincare.com

and then use coupon code:

MAY18

This offer is valid through Friday, May 22 at midnight. So have fun! And if you need this by a certain deadline, be sure to let me know so we can get it out asap.

Have a fantastic week!

So I just read a little article in Prevention magazine this week. It said that doing a few 30 second “sprints” with rest in between for a few days a week was as beneficial to your heart as multiple 30 minute cardio workouts. Being an inherent exercise-slacker, I, of course, was totally intrigued. So I checked online to see if I could verify this study, and sure enough – there it is, it’s all over the web. And there have apparently been quite a few studies!

A good summary is in this About.com article. They say that “recent studies of sprint training with cyclists showed greater cardiovascular results in less time. In fact, one study found that just six sessions of four to seven all-out thirty-second sprints (with four minutes of recovery between sprints) could be as effective at improving cardiovascular fitness as an hour of daily moderate-level aerobic exercise.”

Another website WeBeFit.com quotes a different study – they said a researcher at McMaster University in Canada wanted to find out just how little exercise was needed to see a benefit (I like his style!). So they split their study into 2 groups – one group did the sprint exercises, and the other did the more traditional 40-60 minutes of moderate cycling for 5 days a week. The other group did 4-6 all-out sprints with 4.5 minutes of rest in between for 3 days a week. The study showed that the arteries of both groups had improved equally! And when they calculated the time difference it was astonishing – the traditional workout group spent 1,500 minutes excercising over the 6 week test period, while the test group exercised a total of only 45 minutes (not including the rest time)!!

Sounds good, eh? These articles also give some guidelines to setting up a workout – especially the About.com summary. So I have been trying my own little version on the exercise bike (yes – somewhat motivated by the same reason as the lady in the cartoon). It is actually pretty interesting. You really do have to go all out for the 30 seconds as it says in the article. I’m not talking just fast – I’m talking you want to collapse after those 30 seconds. But then you get to just relax and bike slowly for a couple of minutes before you have to do it again. Really – it seems to me that it is quite similar to some of the pre-programmed sessions on the exercise bikes at the gym. But it is nice to be able to sleep in an extra 15-20 minutes! So here’s to a new phase – until I tire of this one too and look for something else

A study reported in the September 2008 British Journal of Nutrition revealed that 1/2 teaspoon of flaxseed oil every day can help to soothe skin and reduce redness. The study involved 45 women who were given flaxseed oil, borage oil or a placebo – and those that took the flaxseed oil supplements every day saw a 45% reduction in redness and 25% less water loss. The result? Softer, smoother skin.

So if you suffer from rosacea or other skin redness this may be something to check out! Of course, you’ll want to check with your physician – but if they give the green light, what do you have to lose?