Life at a "Swell's" pace

I have to say, Bath & Body Works has some great scents and also some great lotions, but are they really all that great after all? For the longest time I wouldn't step foot into a Bath & Body Works store mainly because of their ingredients. Not a single one of the products they sold had "good" ingredients and the candles weren't even made of soy (a pet peeve).

Recently, Bath & Body Works, or Limited Brands, which is the same company that owns Victoria's Secret and PINK, started changing their approach to better body care products. They have slowly taken the turn toward more eco-friendly, organic, and otherwise better skincare ingredients additions. With this change they have added a new line of shower gels that are Shea Butter-Enriched.

With the addition to their Shea Butter Shower Gel line they have made other changes to their products too. Such as, soy candles, lip balm and treatments made with honey, and aromatherapy products made with essential oils.

Even with the small changes to some of their ingredients, Bath & Body Works still drops the ball on a few others. Other chemical additives like, Sodium Lauryl (Laureth) Sulfate (SLS) are still being added to their product line. SLS is added to a lot of commercially sold body products, especially ones that foam up, because it's cheap for manufacturers to add to their products and it gives the "bubbling effect" that we would associate with products like, hand wash or shampoo. But its harmful in a lot of areas. It can strip away healthy oils from the skin and even damage certain hair follicles over time. Not to mention, this chemical is being washed down our drains.

But Sodium Lauryl Sulfate isn't the only one that is cause for concern, Benzyl Alcohol (BA) is another one that is found in a lot of Bath & Body Works scented lotions, body wash, perfumes, and hand sanitizers that are sold by the company now. BA is linked to mild heart issues and can cause respiratory issues when inhaled for long periods of time.

These are just a few of the large list of harmful ingredients, yet are found in almost everything B&B sells.

Next time you yell from the roof tops, "I LOVE BATH & BODY WORKS" think about what it is you love about them. If you love their scents or their lotions, read the labels. Remember, everything we put on our skin our body digests and can potentially be harmful. It's not the short-term that's the issue, it's the long-term that we should be cautious of.

Eco Tip: Fix leaky faucets from dripping. Every drip a minute adds up to about 30 gallons of water wasted per year. To learn more visit The Earth and Me Go Green.

The title says it all! Blueberries, indeed, make people very, very happy. It's amazing the amount of fun, flavorful, and very healthy recipes you can create by using blueberries.

In addition to fiber, they contain vitamins C and E, along with beta-carotene and polyphenols. Blueberries are also anti-inflammatory and help support the eyes. They also help protect the brain and may help maintain the hippo campus (The brain area essential to memory).

Did you know: The blueberry's cousins are the bilberry and the cranberry?

Blueberries can be added to cereal, yogurt, smoothies, and even salads, but buy organic when possible. Blueberries are part of the list of the "dirty dozen," the 12 foods that can possibly carry the highest pesticide residue. *see below article for a printable "dirty dozen" checklist*

Here are some ways to enjoy Blueberries:

•Hot Blueberry Cheddar Dip per How Sweet It Is