Mother's Day Roundup

If you are looking to treat yourself, your mom, or another special mom in your life, here are some great ideas. I would like to thank the brands for sending me out these samples to be featured. There are a few new launches, and some classics. Happy Mother's Day!!

Dr. Hauschka

Dr. Hauschka Revitalizing Day Cream ($39.95)
Help pale dry skin become enlivened with this light moisturizer. Extracts of anthyllis. witch hazel and calendula combine with nurturing oils to balance oil production and replenish the skin. The brand gets wonderful reviews online and it comes highly recommended.

Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream Light ($42.95)
Rose Day Cream's protective lightweight formulation is ideal for dry or sensitive skin.

Dr. Hauschka has been a natural skin care expert since 1967, and they offer a complete line of holistic skin care that supports balanced skin health to achieve lasting, radiant beauty.

These can be purchased at: https://www.dr.hauschka.com/en_US/
Some CVS &Whole Foods locations in Connecticut also carry this brand.

Ellis Brooklyn

Myth Excellent Body Milk ($55 for 8oz.)
Certified organic, made in NYC. The airy beauty of jasmine petals and tiger orchid meets the sexy, undeniable warmth of liquid musks and white cedarwood.

Rives Eau de Parfum ($100 for 50ml)
1920's French Riviera - The stuff of lazy days on the shore....need to say more? It's a true unisex scent, neroli, petitgrain and lavender form the backbone of this fragrance, which lingers with an elegant base of cashmere woods and white suede for an incredibly clean, almost soapy finish.

Ellis Brooklyn was created by Bee Shapiro, a chic Williamsburg mom who happens to be a style columnist for The New York Times. The eco and sustainability-minded fragrance and bodycare line features sophisticated, multilayered scents created by the perfumer behind Byredo. Phthalates-free, cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and utterly luxurious.

Ellis Brooklyn is available at Sephora, Net-a-Porter.com, and Credo. They also have a website here: https://www.ellisbrooklyn.com/

Pür Cosmetics

Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick ($18 each) and Chrome Glaze ($18 each)
The Velvet Matte Liquid Lipsticks provides lavish lip color in an innovative mousse texture and coasts lips with a smooth flawless finish.

The Chrome Glaze is a high-shine lip gloss that offers vivid colors that won't fade out quickly.

Pür Cosmetics provides high-performance makeup and skincare products that empower women around the world to live an active, authentic, and healthy life.

To find out more about Pür Cosmetics, or to order, please go to: http://www.purcosmetics.com/
Ulta and Kohl's also carry the brand in Connecticut.

Reverie Farms 

Natural Soap made with organic oils ($6 a bar)
Reverie Farms is a farm in Texas that sells organic soaps and products including foaming hand soaps, bar soap, sugar scrub, and homemade laundry detergent. Tempting soap scents like Walk in the Forest Soap, Peppermint Soap, Cleansing Lemon Twist Soap, and Citrus Fusion to name a few.

They sent me some delicious smelling soaps that are kind to the skin - any mom would be happy to get these and it's a great way to support a small local town farm..made in the USA! Even better it's natural, organic, biodegradable, & vegan friendly.

To find out more about Reverie farm and what products they offer, please go to: https://reveriefarms.com/

Histoires de Parfums 

Sephora now carries this European line called Histoires de Parfums created by Geráld Ghislain. The perfumes are strong and they each have a story to tell. These perfumes perpetuate the French perfumery know-how, which feature are luxury, nobility, and creativity. 4oz bottles go for $185, 2oz bottles go for $105, and 0.5oz travel sizes go for $35. They also have a sample set for $20 if you don't know where to start like me. He seems to name his perfumes after years, and then the scent tells the rest of the story.

To find out more about the company, please visit: http://www.histoiresdeparfums.com/us/index.php
To order from Sephora, please go to: http://www.sephora.com/histoires-de-parfums


Gumbo Love by Lucy Buffett ($30 US Hardcover)

I am so excited to have this book and I am looking forward to checking out some of the yummy recipes like: Summer Seafood Gumbo, Coastal Crab and Corn Bisque, Easy-Breezy Island Shrimp Curry, and Bronzed Yellowtail Snapper with Citrus Beurre Blanc Sauce. The booked just launched on May 9th, Lucy combines over 100 new recipes with old favorites. She lives by her mother's philosophy: "Life is short-eat dessert first." Gumbo Love is a labor of love and includes recipes from all over the Gulf Coast.

Lucy "LuLu" Buffett started with a bayside gumbo and burger joint that doubled as a bait shop. Now she is a successful restaurateur, owner of two LuLu's locations (one in Alabama and one in Florida), and brother to famous Margaritaville crooner Jimmy Buffett.

You can order the book now on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Gumbo-Love-Recipes-Entertaining-Savoring/dp/1455566446


ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Heroes Collection ($146)

In Support of Women For Women International, this anti-aging set includes Elemis' best seller Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm and Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment packaged in a sophisticated case.

Elemis is the number 1British anti-aging skincare brand. They offer a curated range of products, so you can enjoy a spa experience from the comfort of your very own home. Blending together the power of nature with the knowledge of science, each formula is complete with a unique scent, supported by aromatics.

Some Nordstrom locations carry this brand, and it's also available at the Elemis Spa at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

To order directly or find out more about the brand, please go to: http://www.elemis.com/us/

Cartier La Panthére ($110 50ml)

"The Traditional Mom" would like Cartier La Panthére which is a floral fragrance with feline notes, illuminated with gardenia, a lively flower peppered with chypre and velvety nuances and comprised of an accord in three parts chypre, floral, and musk.

Cartier La Panthére is available at Neiman Marcus: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/search.jsp?from=brSearch&responsive=true&request_type=search&search_type=keyword&q=cartier%20la%20panthere&l=cartier%20la%20panthere&fl=

Chicken Meatballs with Spaghetti Squash

By Lisa VanWilliams

This is a healthy super tasty dish and it can be made with ground turkey or chicken. I have been making this for a client lately and the last time I made it for them, I wanted to keep it for myself. Spaghetti squash is a great alternative to pasta. One cup of cooked white pasta has around 220 calories, 42 grams of carbs, and very few nutrients. Spaghetti squash has about 42 calories, 10 grams of carbs plus it has nutrients like vitamin A and potassium.

Coconut flour and almond flour are wonderful gluten free, grain free, low carb and great for cooking paleo meals, they are also high in fiber and protein. Taste and flavor are not sacrificed in this recipe, and you won't even miss the breadcrumbs. 

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash cut in half, seeds removed 

1 egg

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 small onion diced or grated

3 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup parsley finely chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt & pepper

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tablespoon coconut flour

1 pound ground turkey or chicken

Directions:

Cut the squash in half and place flat side down in about 1/2 inch of water. Cook in preheated oven at 375 for about 1/2 hr to 45 mins. Remove from oven and cool. Take a fork and run it across the squash horizontally to break apart the squash into pieces..it will look like small pieces of spaghetti. Season it with salt and pepper if you prefer. 

While the squash is baking, making the chicken mix. Combine the egg, tomato paste, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, almond flour, and coconut flour and mix it well. It's a stickier mix than using beef, that's for sure.

Preheat a pan with some olive oil and make meatballs by hand or with a small ice cream scooper and drop them into the hot oil. I usually use two forks to turn these until they are nicely browned on all sides.

Then transfer them to a baking sheet to finish cooking in the oven. Cook them around 15-20 mins depending on the size of the meatballs. The juice will come out an caramelize them nicely.

Serve over sauce or they are fabulous plain. Enjoy!