If I can’t pronounce it, I don’t want it.
Summer greetings my friends,
I hope you are all staying safe and healthy. It’s definitely 1-800-Summer here in sunny Los Angeles and is Hot AF. With all that’s going on in the world, it still doesn’t necessarily feel like Summer…. But in our little family bubble, we are trying to fit in moments of relaxation, enjoyment and (of course) popsicles before this baby comes. With my belly getting bigger, I am also starting to slow down ... well… between my bouts of nesting. Doing “Legs up the wall” is my go for a quick fix of relaxation even when all I want to do is fold freshly washed swaddles and baby clothes and search for the perfect baskets for baby boy’s closet. Even if you aren’t gestating, I highly recommend taking a few minutes and literally putting your legs up a wall to let the blood drain. IT IS DIVINE. Use that time to clock out of your devices (your instagram and news feed can wait), your stress, your worry, or whatever you are fighting can wait. Just breathe for a minute. It’s really nice.
Even if it’s hot and you feel lazy, I encourage you to get your exercise in - I have been doing it early in the morning and it really fuels my day. At 8.5 months pregnant moving is a necessity. And if it feels this good for me, I bet it will for you too. With all this heat, I am eating a ton of salads and fruit, and we grill almost every night. Simple, light, clean. I shared a light summer pasta with you that pairs well with a lemony salad or some grilled broccolini or broccoli. We are obsessed.
Speaking of clean, on to what’s what this week! CLEAN (and green) goods! Our family is devoted to using non-toxic products and household items. I mean, if I can’t pronounce it, I don’t want to eat it or put it on my skin, and I def don’t want to clean my house or clothes with it- and you better believe I don’t want it on my baby(ies!!).
I was so excited to chat with the incredibly wise and lovely Dr. Kristian Edwards about non toxic products and her incredible sight BLK+GRN. I learned so much, and wow is her marketplace the most wonderfully curated collection of clean products made by all Black artisans. You can search the site by skinCare concern, brand or category- which I love. They also list the Toxic Twenty on their site, so you can educate and know what to avoid when buying products. I ordered some postpartum goods, baby goods, kid goods and their non toxic nail-polish remover- and I am very excited. Haven’t worn nailpolish since March, but Ellie likes to play nail salon, so now I can stress less about what remover I am using on her delicate skin. Almost everything is PREORDER on their sight cause they are KILLING IT, so get on there and do some non-toxic damage ( see what I did there?!). I hope you can take a minute to watch our zoom, Dr. Edwards is so lovely.
Currently Crushing On (below) has some of my fave non toxic brands, but here is a more extensive list of my clean picks in each department:
Deodorant: Curie, Humble, Agent Nateur
Oral care: Olas mouth rinse, Coco Floss, Dirt don’t hurt Charcoal Tooth powder
Face wash: Ranavat, Osea, Monastery, Pai Skincare
Serums: Odacite, Ranavat, Monestary, Goldfaden MD
Face lotion: is Clinical, Beautycounter, Goldfaden MD
Sunscreen: Beautycounter, is Clinical, Elta MD.. And for Ellie: Babo, Badger, Evereden
Make up: Beautycounter, Kosas
Shampoo/conditioner: Odacite shampoo bar, Innersense, Rahua, Siam Sea
Body Wash: Aesop, Impossible Soap, or I get bars of soap from local made artisans
Body lotion: SpaRitual, Esker, Beneath your mask, Oseas
Dish Soap: 7th Generation, Better Life ( we use recycled sponges- you can find on amazon)
House Cleaner: Branch Basics ( for everything)
Laundry: Branch Basics, wool drier balls
Ellie soap: Babo, Baeo, Evereden
Ellie Lotion/oil: Gro-To, Babo, Baeo, Evereden
Bags: stasher ( we very rarely use ziplock, I have purchased one box in the last year and there are a ton in there still), Baggu ( for market), or ones that come with purchases cause REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE.
Sending you all the love, now go #beyourbestself
Xoxo,
Amy
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Q&A with Dr. Kristian Edwards
What’s your favorite type of workout?
Yoga
What’s your favorite song or type of music to workout to?
Beyonce (everything!)
How do you motivate yourself when you aren’t in the mood to workout?
½ self talk motivation - “Girl, stop playing..” - and ½ threat - “it’s time to lose this baby weight”
My caloric intake is contingent on my workout activity. I’m able to justify eating the yummy meals my husband makes If, and only if, I keep my commitment to workout.
What is your favorite recipe? I genuinely love a simple salad more than anything.
To be honest, my husband prepares every meal… he’s my top chef. But, I do love his chocolate chip cookies.
Would you mind sharing it with us?
Unknown - he makes magic in the kitchen.
Fave form of self care?
Reading books
Fave product (can be brand or product)?
Every BLK + GRN product sold on the blkgrn.com marketplace.
Fave gift to give... and receive?
To give: BLK + GRN gift card.
To receive: Vacation - to a beach, in particular
What wellness hack is a part of your daily or weekly routine? (could be anything-ie putting lemon in your water)
Smoothies for breakfast - daily.
Fave Wellness/lifestyle IG account that you follow?
Aside from @BLKandGRN? @BlackGirlInOm (Black Girl In Om)
I feel better when I:
Meditate
Light Summer Pasta with Tomatoes, Arugula, Lemon and Burrata.
INGREDIENTS:
•3-5 heirloom tomatoes ( or any tomato varietal of your choice)
•2-3 cloves of chopped Garlic
•Olive oil ( plain or I like to use BRIGHTLAND’s Basil Olive oil)
•1 Lemon
•1-ish cup of Arugula
•Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
•Burrata
•Fresh Basil
•Salt
•Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
•Slice or chop tomatoes ( I like to do a rough chop, makes the dish feel more rustic), chop garlic, chop basil.
•Boil water for pasta and generously salt. Cook pasta al dente and save some of the cooking water.
•Meanwhile.. Sauté Garlic until fragrant but not burned, add about 3/4 of the tomatoes, add salt and pepper, cook for about 5 minutes, add the juice of half a lemon.
•When tomatoes seem like they got a good saute, add the cooked pasta and a little bit of the pasta water and sauté everything together.
•Remove from heat and put in bowl.
•Toss in remaining fresh tomatoes, Arugula, chopped basil, the other half of the lemon, more olive oil and a ton of fresh grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh Burrata. YUM!!
Currently crushing on…
1. BLK + GRN
An all natural market-place by all black artisans. From Toothpaste to tea, postpartum to pets, baby to beauty to reusable bags- this website has it all. Non toxic, vetted connecting high quality toxic free brands for the natural devotee. You can even shop by skincare concern. I just ordered some postpartum mom essentials and am very excited.
2.
Branch Basics
LOVING my Branch Basics cleaners - I am all about clean cleaning and it’s more important than ever right now! What’s my favorite thing about this plant based cleaner? The bottles are reusable, I haven’t thrown out a cleaning bottle in a year! Use code BBAMY15
3.
Odacité
Clean yummy smelly beauty that works! I use their all embracing serum daily and their Blue Aurora cleansing water is a dream. I also use their Jade Gua Sha ( pictured to the left) and I just started using their new soap free shampoo bar and omg is it amazing. Yes please to NO more shampoo bottles… 552 MILLION are in landfills yearly. Derived from coconut oil this shampoo has changed my hair and scalp. Highly recommend everything from this brand.
4. Detox Market
From skin products to household products to teas and supplements, this market has all clean non toxic goods! I use a lot of products from this store and every single one feels and smells amazing. I use their baby products, skincare, mouthwash, shampoo and more. Note- this store is where I discovered both Ranavat, Spa Ritual and Odacite three of my favorite brands. They even sell Stasher bags! They have a full shop on line and stores in LA, Toronto and New York.
5. The Always Pan
This pan does it all! It sautés, steams and fries- oh, and comes with a wooden spatula. It’s nonstick and nontoxic and comes in super cute colors. I cook everything in it- including this week’s recipe. I mean it’s Oprah approved, so you know it’s good.
6. Neu Nomads
With sustainable fabrics, nontoxic dyes, eco friendly packaging, and amazing styles, this female owned and operated business has considered everything. I am obsessed with all their yummy linen, their caftans, and their colors. I will be rocking their stuff all year long… pre and post baby. Hint they are currently having a big sale…
