Saturday, December 26, 2015

3 Benefits of Laundry Cream



In an effort to move to all natural products in my house, laundry detergent was at the top of the list for switching over. Although I had already switched over to a colorless, scentless detergent, I wanted something that wasn’t commercial and ideally was natural. I made the laundry cream this year and I have been a convert ever since. The biggest change I had to made was using a lot less detergent (only one tablespoon per regular load), and putting the cream in the basin of the washer instead of the detergent dispenser. The laundry cream also has far less suds but it doesn’t mean it cleans less. Here are three reasons why laundry cream is a great alternative to commercial, store-bought laundry detergent.


1. It works naturally.
Made with coconut oil, the laundry cream makes for a great natural cleaner. Coconut oil already has awesome properties and when it is made into soap, it becomes pure awesomeness. Pure coconut oil soap can generally be drying to the skin, however it makes it great for clothes and cleaning; things that don’t need conditioning. The laundry cream doesn’t contain any preservatives or stabilizers. The Body Buffet’s Laundry Cream is also lightly scented with lemongrass essential oil.


2. A little goes a long way.
The laundry cream is very concentrated not only taking up a fraction of the space that regular detergents do, but also making it easy to carry and transport if you don’t have a washer and dryer on site. Unlike with regular liquid or powdered detergents, you don’t need up to a cup just to do one load.


3. It’s affordable.
Compared to store-bought detergent, laundry cream costs about the same. I didn’t break the bank making the switch over. In fact it costs less than the commercial brand I previously used.

What are you waiting for? Make the switch over to The Body Buffet’s Laundry Cream. They come in 8 ounces (up to 80 loads) and 16 ounces (up to 160 loads). Visit thebodybuffet.etsy.com.








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Marquita Bell is a self-care advocate and the owner of The Body Buffet which creates handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. Based out of Philadelphia, they aim to live healthier, more sustainable lives inside and out.

Friday, November 27, 2015

Philly Gift Guide


Thank you so much for viewing our hand-picked Philly artist gift guide. The majority of these artists we have met personally over the years of networking and buying their work. Please feel free to include any links in the comments to other locals you know and love in Philly. Bookmark our page and share with others to buy year round. Support these local artists and connect with them on social media to see their upcoming events.

Accessories


Carole Kyle Handbags
Beautiful handbags and totes with artsy prints.








Elegant Crochets
From knit hats to ponchos, this shop gives you an easy way to transform your wardrobe.
https://twitter.com/Elegantcrochets




 

The Pink Lapel
A new spin on ties and bow ties for those of style and flare.








Bath & Beauty
PiperWai Natural Deodorant
Makes are great personal gift to yourself or to friends who love natural products.
https://www.instagram.com/piperwai/

https://twitter.com/PiperWai






The Body Buffet
Handmade unique soaps, shampoo bars, whipped body butter and other natural products.
https://www.instagram.com/thebodybuffet







Clothing

Jawn Clothing
Nothing gets more Philly than “Jawn.” Shop here for Unisex Philly Gear.






Sowah Design
These colorful clothes are for those people who are full of life and joy.









Foodie

Affinity Confections
Divine desserts great for friends, parties, or yourself.
https://www.instagram.com/_affinityco/


Naturally Sweet Desserts
If you haven’t tried these divine vegan, dairy-free, low glycemic cupcakes, you are missing out!


Home

Don Yacovella Furniture Designs
Simply elegant furniture created that is customizable to match your decor.
https://www.instagram.com/dyfurniture/





Threet Ceramics
This beautiful stoneware makes for a practical gift that will suit those hard-to-please people.
 https://www.instagram.com/threetceramics/

Jewelry
Ilanation
Each piece is created with individual pieces of glass, semi-precious stones, and mixed metals.










Lovestruck Jewelry
This is great decorative jewelry that is also light-weight.







Metana Jewelry  
Stunning, bold pieces of jewelry that are unique and elegant.
https://twitter.com/MetanaJewelry
 
Real Fruit Jewelry
For the foodie and/or jewelry-lover, all of her pieces included real preserved fruit!
https://www.instagram.com/realfruitjewelry/






Unique Gifts

SheCre8s
Repurposed silverware makes for great key chains and jewelry.
https://www.instagram.com/shecre8s/









Make Pens Over Swords
Formerly local, this artist creates pens out of wood scraps in an act of peace-making.


Wrong World Ceramics
Handmade ceramic flasks from grotesque to decorative, it is great gift for those hard to please.
https://www.instagram.com/wrongworld/




Local Shops
Shop for wares from a variety of local artists and creatives.
Nice Things Handmade
1731 E Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia
https://www.instagram.com/nicethingsphila/
https://twitter.com/nicethingsphila







 
Vix Emporium
5009 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia
https://www.instagram.com/vix_emporium/
https://twitter.com/vixemporium








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The Body Buffet creates handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. Based out of Philadelphia, they aim to live healthier, more sustainable lives inside and out.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Self-Care: 3 Ways to Survive the Holidays



3 ways to survive the holidays

I had a friend who went out of his way to work during the holidays just to avoid being available to go home and be with his family. While his motives were money-driven (he didn’t receive holiday pay), his main reason was that he would rather deal with the dysfunction of his clients than deal with the dysfunction of his own family. Was that odd? And if it was odd, by whose standards?

The last few days of social media has been buzzing with the word “friendsgiving”--this idea of spending time with those closest to you with whom you have formed intentional relationships rather than the obligatory ones via bloodlines. I don’t necessarily agree or disagree with the whole idea. I believe each person is given an ability to make their own decisions and no two people should necessarily have the same decision even if they are related.

However and with whomever you choose to spend the holidays with, just remember to take time out for things, places, and people that feed your spirit, mind, heart, body, and soul. Here are three healthy ways to survive the holidays by prioritizing self-care.
dysfunctional family

1. Don’t let your spirit be crushed
Perhaps one of the most difficult steps of self-care is learning which relationships we should leave on the table, which to make palatable for both parties, and which to walk away from altogether. Part of caring for yourself is making decisions that are good for your health and well-being, not contingent solely upon feelings or other people’s opinions of you.

Willingly entering into a hostile environment, during a time that should be uplifting like the holidays, is counter-productive; especially in situations of abuse. Why should you subject your time-off for that? Part of self-care is setting up firm boundaries and maintaining healthy relationships. However many are too afraid. Part of self-care is being confident with your decisions in how to relate to other people.Don’t spend all of your time in environments that will crush you.

2. Don’t let negativity consume you
Self-care during the holidays also involves regulating the thoughts that swim through our minds. While it’s known as a season of giving, for many it is really a season of depression and acknowledgement of depravity. It can be struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), being reminded of your lack of material wealth, recalling failed and broken relationships, feeling the inner pain and loneliness and heartache from loss or alienation… Whatever your negative thoughts are, put them aside Replace every negative thought with a life-giving one. You will have to continuously do this until those thoughts are less frequent  . Changing your mindset does in fact change your life. As an adolescent I struggled with self-esteem and my entire life changed when I started thinking different. It won’t happen
leaving behind relationships
overnight, but it does happen over time. More importantly, get professional help if you need to. Depression during the holidays runs rampant. Please seek professional help for example, 1-800-273-TALK. Please reach out to your support networks.

3. Don’t over-commit
There are too many holidays where I signed up for making baked goods, committed to parties, carols, etc, often in the midst of semester finals and projects just to feel like a celebrated the holidays well. But each time I did a plethora of activities, I found myself regretting not spending enough time in reflection. I regretted not having low-key moments that didn’t involve exquisite planning, expense, and time. Schedule downtime during the holidays. Don’t fall into the spell of the chaotic agenda of events that consume the end of the year. Downtime can considerably reduce the stress and strain.

Remember this
You have the power to shape your experience this holiday season. Much of life is about having a different perspective, making difficult decisions, while preserving the essence of who you are.

What brings you joy during the holidays? How do you practice self-care?


joy during the holidays

Interested in hearing more about incorporating self-care into your life? Sign up here to receive our weekly tips on de-stressing your life.


Marquita Bell is a self-care advocate and the owner of The Body Buffet which creates handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009. Based out of Philadelphia, they aim to live healthier, more sustainable lives inside and out.