sensible living through laughter

For fun today, i read the book Laugh For No Reason by Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of the laughter yoga clubs movement. This is a book I wouldn't have chosen except that it's recommended reading for the laughter yoga training/spiritual retreat i'll be headed into next week. my journey seems to be taking me to interesting places. people i tell this to either get a little quiet, are fascinated by it or they think i'm a nut nut. i'm looking forward to meeting dr. kataria and learning about laughter yoga.

the book is a generous blend of scientific studies of the health and social benefits of laughter yoga - for those logical skeptics (like brett my husband!), the growing movement around the world, how it all started in Mumbai, India and the dreams of world peace through the inner spirit of laughter.

"health and happiness through laughter and the spirit of laughter"

sign up for hula hooping in the park for creative play de-stress at meetup. it's a free community service i'm offering to provide practical tools for sensible living. in santa barbara, ca. 1st play date is tues may 22. go to meetup for details.

NEW products update!

For Peace and Tranquility... just a quickie update to let you know what's new!

Aromastick Peace Gift Pack - 3 pk diffuser/spray combo

Comfort Essentials - Beautiful Tropical Orchid Floral and Seashore fabrics

Have a beautiful blooming spring weekend!

Happy Friday...

Glow! News featuring Mother's Day gift ideas was just sent out to our subscribers. Click here to view.

New community hula hooping group!

i'm excited to be offering this free community hooping for creative play and de-stressing. first play date starts Thurs, May 17 6-7pm at Girsch Park. Check back for any date/time change updates by clicking link below.

if you're a local or happen to be in the area, drop by and hoop or say hello. i encourage rsvp so that i can provide hoops for use or purchase and to know space needs. event is free. if you sign up i will email updates as well. we will stir up our hooping locations to some inspiring places so stay connected to us via meetup.com for any changes.

Click here for details at meetup.com

After a day's walk everything has twice its usual value.

— George Macauley Trevelyan

earth friendly soy candles

happy earth day!

celebrate the light in you with these soy candles. natural clean and made from a renewable energy source. perfect for integrating a healthy and environmentally conscious lifestyle.

“I am allergic to most all scented candles/products, but the bergamot fresh was fabulous. No headaches or allergy symptoms, and the scent was light and soothing. The glass holder is substantial and pretty. A little zen around my computer for the afternoon!"
- raye ann pasadena, ca

see your light, the movie

books on tape

my day started yesterday with an early morning recording session at the 'recording for the blind and dyslexic' record-a-thon (RFB&D). it was quite an experience being in the sound proof booth hearing my voice in another tone as i read. i was so lucky to read a non-textbook this time, sidney portier's, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography!

bill, the recording pro outside my booth gave me the queue to read and stop made me feel at ease in the 'cozy' booth which almost looked like a time machine to me. he patiently stopped me twice both for not being able to say the word 'damn'. he said i kept saying drama. strange, i could have kept reading not aware of my error. why my brain didn't want to read it is mind boggling but thank goodness he found humor in that while he backed the tapes to re-record again and again. after the recording, bill, said he enjoyed my reading so much that he felt transported to cat island in the bahamas, where sidney portier's life in chapter 1 mostly took place --- writing so fondly of the simple life with each day ending up with his family on the front porch watching the sun set. that was 45 minutes of reading and how exhausting and exhilirating at the same time it was. what an honor!

i love this lesser known organization where they serve more than 100,000 students with print disabilities around the world! their unit is made up of hundreds of volunteers who give their time by reading for those who can't see standard print. check them out.... rdb&d, sb unit.

living a mindfully extravagent life - should we so dare

ever pick up one of those books that just resonates with you? i'm reading one now called Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat which i highly recommend if you need a boost of inspiration and practical ideas on how to begin to live mindfully extravagent (as she calls it), off the yoga mat.

it's by a gal by the name of kimberly wilson. i first came across her yoga studio, tranquil space, last year when i was looking for a yoga class in washington, dc. while visiting my family. lots has changed since i moved away 7 yrs ago. (wow has it been that long?!) though i couldn't make the full moon yoga they offered (well really i think i dozed off paralyzed by the fear of having to face beltway traffic) i was able to get an appt for an ayurveda consultation and thai yoga massage! i'm glad i did. since then i have learned more about the person who started the tranquil space and have been so inspired by her actions.

my internal compass continues to take me to intersting places as well. in a few weeks i'll be going into laughter yoga teacher training by the man who started the movement in 1995, dr. madan kataria. i feel a little uneasy (about the unknown) but excited about this week long retreat and the new possibilities it will bring for me and my community. so in conjunction with the total restructure of my store and this training, things are a bit hectic. i should be so lucky though to be leading this mindfully extravagent life!

my secret weapon on sale!

my secret weapon for putting moisture back into dry skin patches is this whipped body butter. take stock in this earthly treasure while it's on sale!

via botanica body butters with shea butter ($14.95) and sugar cane scrubs ($12.95)

vanilla organge
lavender
invigorating mint

"Just wanted to say how much I love the whipped body butter. It is fabulous! My eczema has not bothered me once since I bought it and I was able to sleep through the night and not wake up because of it… which is VERY rare. Thank you a million times over, Maria!"
– Kenny Osehan
Santa Barbara, CA

feast for dry skin

i just whipped out my body butter after going outside with a skirt on in unusual windy santa barbara weather yesterday. gave my legs a feast for my dry skin. ok this must be an ageing thing because i've noticed this past year that my skin needs more moisture than in past years. having the right tools to go with the ageing flow are my secret weapons though. seriously this whipped body butter is my secret weapon when it comes to nourishing. i use it for drier spots for a moisture boost and it provides softening all day. the healing properties of this shea butter base extra hydrating lotion i think is the key. and it's free of parabens.

maria tip: since my feet are always exposed. i hardly wear anything else but sandals all year round.... for soft feet, i do this maybe twice a week or when needed. i dabble a little lavender (for its calming aromatherapy properties) whipped body butter on in the evening over covered feet while reading before i hit the pillow. then i remove it either in the morning or after a couple of hrs. result - ahhh softer feet almost like a baby's feet.

in the morning i use a little peppermint butter (energizing peoperties) on my dry spots right after the shower. very invigorating and soothing!

8 oz whipped body butters are on SALE now -- pair it with sugar scrub and it makes a wonderful mother's day gift! SHOP NOW
available in 5 flavors

giving outside of myself

i learned about this 'giving' gift when i was about 12 yrs old. remember sally struthers who was on late night-early morning tv with the children in developing countries asking for help to feed them? i was a caller one night and i made my first pledge of support. i was in tears by the time i made that phone call to. must have been 2 am, me alone in the living room in panic that there were kids hungry. you can see the hunger in their eyes. i can't remember how much i pledged but i think my week's allowence. i lied too when they asked me if i was old enough to make this pledge. i thought it was an ok lie, not a trouble lie. so i went to my mom and she turned my money into a check to send to sally. that's how the giving all started. it started from my heart.

probably why i after managing a bank directly out of college i launched my career in non-profits working at pbs, weta tv/fm, girl scouts, diabetes research, envrinonmental organization; i contributed to making programs happen. but it was putting the paperwork aside that i really had a great time. as a big sister volunteer in dc to volunteering at assisted living in virginia to reading to children, that's where i see my direct impact.

amongst the busyness of life, i look forward to this activity. each week i volunteer for adult literacy in my community. i meet with my adult learner and she amazes me with her drive and eagerness to learn. i meet her tomorrow and can't wait to hear about her planting a tree in honor of her moving here. what a simple and symbolic gesture. i volunteer for selfish reasons. i have a hard time seeing people neglected of what they're so capable of. my learner rises to the occasion with such enthusiasm each time we meet. she gives me energy and hope. i'm selfish to know it makes me feel good. sometimes i think selfish is not so bad.

greening of a former shoe-aholic

i'm what you call accidental greening. still a long way to go but at least i don't have to feel that guilty about all the shoes i bought in my past 9-5 working world and living on the east coast. weird because i walked less there than here and i had more shoes than now. to say the least i was shoe crazy. now you'll see me mostly in sandals all year round or my easy spirit oh so comfy walking shoes. i still love my shoes but i'm not as fanatical anymore. lifestyle changes. thank goodness. being fanatical about anything is exhausting.

for green week i take pause in how i'm doing my little part in this green movement. let's see, i use a laptop (they say it uses 90% less energy than desktops) and i turn off my laptop at night or in sleep mode when not in use. more points for me! i have an online store. big one. offering more organic body care to the product mix and more eco trends are in store for the future as well. less everything in this scenario - less packaging, low overhead costs, less electricity usage, paperless transactions, etc... huge forward movement!

my husband and i also went down from 2 cars to one car last year since the lexus was sitting in the garage most days. sabrina preferred the more sportier honda than the plush luxe leather seats. so we sold it to a very nice guy i see driving it around town. i wave a big happy wave when i see him. makes me happy to see how much he's enjoying it. so we bike it or walk it when we can and are more aware of combining errands. i've clothes shopped less. huge huge one for me. oh and bought my first bamboo slip dress last year. love it. supposed to be a nighty but it serves dual purpose. i wear it as a sun dress too. got it at bamboosa. if you get the sleep slip get it a size larger. it fits a little too snug on me. fabric is so soft and you'll feel good about wearing it. for my friend's baby shower i bought them organic cotton outfits, bib and hat at wholefood's west hollywood new lifestyle store. love that store. wish they had one up here in santa barbara.

i also shop veggies and fruits at farmer's market with an occasional last minute pick up at the grocery store. still working on bringing my own bag to the store though and not using plastic water bottles. anyone have a cure for that?

all in all. i feel great about the decisions i've made over the past year mostly based out of convenience and necessity so i'm feeling pretty good this eco week. see you don't have to be an environmentalist or tree hugger to care about this environment. leave the labels at home and start living the new dream.

how about a green assessment this week in your household. is your recycling growing bigger than your trash? they say it takes 30 days to make a habit. start small. maybe walk to the store or post office if you can. great way to integrate exercise with an errand. whatever you do, have fun!

have a beautiful week.

a dog's life

Here is my beloved sabrina with her high energy cousin brian on the start of our hike during easter weekend. they hiked us around town until we were all dog tired at the end of the day. everyone was so hungry that we all indulged in a bucket of KFC. Gross i know but so good.

hiking around santa barbara

Got some downtime over easter weekend with a whirlwind weekend visit from family from the bay area, central ca, and austin. we had a great time hiking all around town to some of the most incredible views of the back country and 360 of the ocean and mtns.

the mtns and oceans are to me in ca as the monuments, arts & culture, and the potomac river were to me living in alexandria, va. i had a hard time leaving the east coast because of those things. but what life threw at me was another kind of love. i've fallen in love with nature. what a wonderful gift i have each day waiting to be explored!

dj, my cousin's boyfriend, an incredible photographer, took this panoramic shot of santa barbara's back country. stunning isn't it?

sugar vs salt scrub

i get asked this often enough to warrant a blog post about these 2 types of exfoliants. should I use a salt scrub or a sugar scrub? 


my answer to a lot of body care questions is -- it depends. one of the first differences you will notice between a salt and a sugar scrub is the crystal size of the exfoliating grains. For example, we offer several ranges of sugar scrub grain sizes in our store -- via botanica (larger), organic fiji (less large), buddha nose sugar scrubs (least large). Sugar scrubs tend to be more gentle and are excellent choices for first time scrub users or those with sensitive skin. Sea salts are naturally purifying making them a great choice for cleansing, however, if you have any scratches, or cuts the salt will definitely sting. No matter what type of scrub you choose, we recommend you not use them on freshly shaven skin. Remember, scrub first, then shave.

i'm personally loving the healing qualities of salt scrubs. i use the salt scrub by organic fji, because the peppermint is so invigorating.

offered to blog post readers, 10% off meditation bath salts in a blue glass jar thru end of month. sorry only ships in usa.

New green bodycare gift sets!

We've just stocked up on these new organic bodycare sets and products!

Suitable for mother's day, new moms, mom to be, graduates, party favors, house warming, birthday, earth day, or thank you gift.

- Bonicca medium organic spa set w/eco tote (pictured; mother's day, new mom, thank you)

- Bonicca organic spa sugar scrub trio in 2 flavors
cocktail party, sweet treats (party favor, bridesmaid gifts)


Organic Fiji Gifts Sets!
- Coconut Oil and soap gift bag comes with a relaxing CD of instrumental island music. (father's day, new home, thinking of you)

- Romantic Massage Gift bag with lotion, coconut oil, and soap. (anniversary, honeymoon gift)

view more organic fiji gift sets

remember to use our free gift reminder service. found on our store page or click here.

indulging in self-care

greetings! looking forward to tomorrow where a friend and i are taking a few hours to indulge in self-care, a much anticipated massage for 2 bizeeeeee gals who love pamering followed by eating, chatting and laughter. definitely takes my stress level down. in the meantime, i hope you all enjoy your spring weekend and taking good care of yourselves.

Hope you have some pleasant surprises on this Friday the 13th!

Fashion Event this weekend in Hollywood

hi all, sharon bolton scents will be participating in this weekend's fashion day soireee in hollywood. thought i'd pass it along to all my local readers. if you don't know of her, you will soon! her scents truth and luv are amazing, all that i wear! the details...

A Fashion, Beauty Lifestyle Shopping Event
The Highlands Club in Hollywood
Saturday, April 14, 2007
10AM - 4PM

Join hundreds of LA fashionistas who will enjoy shopping over 50 of the hottest designers and fashion companies offering the latest styles in clothing, jewelry, handbags, bath beauty, accessories, and lifestyle products at up to 50% off their regular retail prices. Blue Cult Jeans, Rock Republic!!!

Organic Fiji stock update

Back in stock :
- 12 oz Lotion in Pineapple Coconut
- Bar Soap Cleanser for Face & Body in Cucumber Melon

the secret to island beauty video

Out of stock:
- 2 oz and 12 oz lotion in cucumber melon
- 2 oz lotion in ylang ylang
- 12 oz coconut oil, pineapple

Connect through life

Is this picture you all day in front of the computer? It's me most days (except not that chic looking).

These past weeks I've been blessed to really connect with incredible women with a passion for life. I've come to think that the more I connect with the computer the more I desire to connect to what really gives me a sense of well-being... being with other like-minded women. I can't remember the name of this fantastic speaker at the Ladies Who Launch event in LA last week but she mentioned that oxytocin, a neurohormone gets released when we are in the company of other women and we get these feel good sensations that elevate our mood. What a great excise to connect more for a boost of pleasure and well-being into your life!

So, ladies, breathe deeply, live richly and mindfully stay connected to those women who elevate your moods to higher levels. This journey called life is really a series of connections. Some ideas we can do this through is music, food, laughter, work, community, children, causes you believe in, a cup of tea, exercise, mani or pedi, pets, or whatever makes you feel good. Just get out once and a while from your computers unplug and connect. Ok, that means me so gotta run.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Buddha Nose in the News

Buddha Nose was featured in Women's Wear Daily, the popular international source for beauty, often referred to as "the fashion bible".

The magazine highlighted Buddha Nose’s creator, "shiatsu practitioner Amy Galper, who has a certification in aromatic plant medicine…using her knowledge of plants she mixes up custom balms and sprays that combines the dynamics of shiatsu with the essential oils of aromatic plants.

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Buddha Nose was also featured in Yoga Journal as recommended as a holistic healing remedy to soothe your spirit and reduce your stress. Try the immune booster or heart spray.

Here's what a customer said recently about her heart spray and sugar scrub:

"I got all my spa products and love them all. The heart spray is wonderful and so is the sugar scrub. The buddha Nose products have an ancient smell to them that really calms my being... I love it." - Fern, occupational health industry from Bethesda, MD

Shop the Buddha Nose line of aromatic oils and plant remedies at De-Stress Essentials

Spotlight on indie perfumer Sharon Bolton

I truly love the way indie perfumer Sharon Bolton combines a sense of feminine style with island wise simplicity with her perfume oils and body care line. Each scent has a tropical twist that are a blend of fragrance and natural essential oils.

Even Philly native and music legend "lady" Patti LaBelle indulges in Luv perfume oils!

Indulge your mom on Mother's Day with Sharon Bolton scents. Shop now.