Turby and John » vacation

Foody Friday: Beach Snacks

Dawn — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:00:08 +0000

I’ve been eating the most delicious treats this week. Wanna see?

Who doesn't love fruit strips?

Peach Frozen Yogurt and Kiwi might not be an ideal combination, but that didn't stop me from devouring it.

Making this tasty sangria was super easy! I just mixed a large bottle of dry Malbec, a cup of unbleached sugar, a sliced apple, a sliced orange, and a splash of lime juice.

Barbecue Soy Crisps & Pink Grapefruit Sparkling water are two of my new favorites.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this new (to me) flavor.

Don’t worry; I haven’t been surviving on frozen yogurt and sparkling water alone. I also had this salad:

Sprouts make any salad twice as awesome.

Alba Botanica Hawaiian Green Tea SPF 45 Sunblock Review

Dawn — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:00:12 +0000

Remember last week’s sunscreen post? Well, I ended up buying the Loving Naturals Sunscreen mentioned in that post. Unfortunately, and even though I opted for two day shipping with my Amazon Prime account, I didn’t receive the sunscreen in time for vacation. Since my first choice was no longer an immediate option and I needed something to prevent sunburn, my mom had a bottle of Alba Botanica Green Tea Sunblock waiting for me when we arrived at the condo Saturday night. She’s kind of the best.

Ingredients (provided at albabotanica.com)- “Homosalate 10.0%, Octocrylene 10.0%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5.0%, Titanium Dioxide 2.0%, Aqua (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice(1), Calendula Of cinalis Flower Extract(1), Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract(1), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract(1), Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract(1), Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol(1), Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium BenzoateCitronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool, Fragrance (Parfum).

(1)Certified Organic Ingredient

The old formulation of this product receives a hazard score of 5 in the Cosmetics Database, and I couldn’t locate the current formulation in the database.

In the formulation change, the following ingredients were removed from the product: Oxybenzone 6.0%, Avobenzone 3.0%. ingredients: isopropyl palmitate, VP/eicosene copolymer, cetyl phosphate, steareth-21, steareth-2, carbomer, tocopherol (vitamin E).

The following ingredients were added to the product: Octocrylene 10.0%, Titanium Dioxide 2.0%, Cetyl Alcohol, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol(1), Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool.

In the current formulation of this product, the ingredients with hazard scores above a 3 are Fragrance (8), Benzyl Alcohol (6), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (6), Polysorbate 60 (3-6), Tocopheryl Acetate (4), Citronellol (4), Geraniol (5), Hexyl Cinnamal (4), Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde (5), Limonene (6), and Linalool (4).

Some great things about this product:

1. It’s free of parabens.

2. It contains organic ingredients.

3. It’s water resistant.

4. It’s cruelty-free.

5. It provides both UVA & UVB protection.

Product Description(also provided at albabotanica.com)- “Perfect for daily wear, our non-greasy Green Tea Sunscreen, with antioxidants and certified organic aloe vera, absorbs quickly and effectively with a light, fresh scent.”

Price- $9.95 for 4 fl. oz.

Performance- I applied this sunblock to my body and face the first few mornings of vacation before heading to the beach. Unfortunately, after a couple of days of applying this product to my face, I noticed a small rash made up of tiny, unsightly bumps on my chin, nose, and cheeks. For the rest of the week, I applied the sunscreen to only my body and wore a straw hat to protect my face. The rash quickly disappeared, and my body never got a bit of sunburn. After using only the hat to protect my face, though, my nose did get a little pink toward the end of vacation. Still, if you ask me, a pink nose is always preferable to a face rash. It’s probably important to note that I only applied this sunscreen once a day (in the morning), and after spending a few hours in the sun reading or playing in the ocean I’d retreat to the shade of the nearest large umbrella, where I’d remain until heading back up to the condo. I did this daily and intentionally to avoid having to apply sunblock twice a day. One application is time-consuming enough!

Scent- This product has a very pleasant scent that’s pretty fleeting and isn’t easy to describe. It doesn’t smell like green tea at all, but it does smell a lot like Burt’s Bees Green Tea & Fennel Seed Shampoo. After the initial pleasant scent fades, which takes no more than 30 minutes, it begins to smell like regular ol’ sunscreen. I find this neither pleasant nor unpleasant, and it’s subdued enough to be easily ignored.

Rating- 6/10. I’m subtracting 2 points for the questionable ingredients and another 2 for the rash that occurred on my face.

Would I purchase this item again? This product smells nice and it definitely kept me from getting sunburned, but I will probably never buy it again. I’m much more likely to go with a safer option, like my late to arrive Loving Naturals.

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Foody Friday: Vacation Indulgences

Dawn — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:00:12 +0000

For me, one of the best parts of vacationing is being able to eat delicious food nonstop without feeling the usual amount of guilt. My vacation mode internal dialogue- “Two pieces of pie and a cookie for dessert? Well, I am on vacation. Why not? And maybe I should wash it down with a tub of melted butter… ”

Below are some of the tastiest dishes and treats I’ve been allowing myself to enjoy this week.

I ate this straight from the pouch by squeezing it into my mouth. I'm unashamed of that fact.

This pizza was somethin' else.

Tiny gelato for everyone!

This artichoke & jalapeño was too hot for 90% of my family, but I managed to eat an embarrassing amount of it.

I always have the pleasure of drinking Community Coffee when I'm with my parents; God bless 'em.

I could never say no to a popchip (or 10).

The piquant sauce covering the tilapia in this picture is a winner.

Oh yeah! Danielle and I did manage to make the Mango Lime Virgin Margaritas I mentioned in yesterday’s post.

So. Good.

As per use, here are a few food-related articles I found interesting:

FDA Reopens Food Dyes Debate- Why can’t we be smart like the British and dye our orange soda with pumpkin and carrot extract instead of petroleum-based dyes?
The Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic- I’ve linked to an article like this before, but it only concerned produce. Reading about 12 different pesticides being in milk made me thankful that we alternate between buying strictly organic milk and unsweetened almond milk. Also, I’m pretty sad about the high number of pesticides used to grow blueberries because we can never find the organic variety.
The Clean 15: Foods You Don’t Have to Buy Organic- This list isn’t entirely current, but it’s much more uplifting than the previously mentioned article. Also, recipes are provided with each fruit/veggie that makes the list.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I plan to thoroughly enjoy my last couple of days at the beach.

Safe Sex on the Beach (and Other Mocktails)

Dawn — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:00:21 +0000

I love a mixed drink as much as the next broad, but the last thing I need when I’m sweating on the beach is a dehydrating alcoholic beverage. My solution? Mocktails! Sure, mocktails might seem childish to some, but they can also be refreshing, tasty, and even healthy (if you play your cards right)! Last year at the beach, Danielle and I made a couple of Safe Sex on the Beaches (initially attracted to the clever name) using this simple recipe. They were mega delicious, and we both felt fancy while drinking them. We liked them so much that we made several subsequent batches throughout the week. Here’s a picture of us looking classy and enjoying our creation:

Interested in making your own mocktail or virgin drink? Here are a few recipes I’ve had my eye on:

I’m sure I will be making (and have probably already made) at least one of the above on this year’s family beach vacation.

Do you have a favorite mocktail recipe to suggest? If nonalcoholic isn’t your cup of tea, then what’s your favorite grown folks mixed drink?

Eating meat makes me feel sluggish.

Dawn — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:00:03 +0000

I just got back from a sufficiently relaxing vacation with Kirby and his family (hence my week-long post hiatus). The week was filled with sunshine, fruity drinks, and insane amounts of food. I enjoyed every second of it, but my body still hates me for all the junk food that I consumed. Potato chips, sausage casserole (Sometimes I’m a bad vegetarian, okay?), and lots of bread and cheese pretty much made up my entire diet for the week. I still feel sluggish, and I’m convinced that the three ulcers in my mouth are somehow connected to the poor food choices that I made. My solution? I’m going to swim laps, drink herbal tea, eat salads and lots of fresh fruit, and go to bed early every night this week. We’ll see how it goes.

And for something unrelated:

I’ve been searching for the tastiest dark chocolate around lately. I’ve only tried two so far, and neither is perfect. The first was a little too bitter, and the second was too sweet for my liking. Does anyone have a favorite dark chocolate that they would recommend? Here are the two that I’ve already tried:

I made several friends and family members try this chocolate, and I am one of the few who did not hate it. It reminds me of black coffee.

The amount of sugar and milk in this chocolate bar make it hard for me to justify eating it.

Hair Business and Vacation Purchases

Dawn — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:03:58 +0000

My beach vacation has been pretty fly thus far. I haven’t spent much time at the beach (because of the nasty water…oil spills are for the birds), but our Condo is sufficiently sweet. There’s a lazy river; how cool is that?!

I’ve been avoiding shampoo altogether this week and using baking soda in its place. I’ve been conditioning with Aveda Rosemary Mint Conditioner (and my hair has never looked better):

Aveda products tend to have preservatives in them, but they work sooo well.

My mom bought me some Time & Again Organics hand cream today at a cute little shop. It was seven dollars, and it smells like a dream:

This hand cream is paraben-free. It also has organic coconut, jojoba, and wheat germ oils in it.

The two following items having nothing to do with health and beauty, but I need the former (TOKYObay Sacchetto in Blue) and just purchased the latter (Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Sleeveless Floral Dress):

This bag is almost too cute to handle. I love a tiny purse.

This dress makes me want to go on a picnic. I love Target.