Stock Up On Your Holiday Spices Today!

Since the holidays are coming up, here are a few ideas that might help your spice sales—and help you keep up on your stock of popular spices. Don't forget these popular spices and food items to make your holidays deliciously-festive:

• Pie Crusts: Apple Pie Spice, Pumpkin Pie
• Spice, Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract
• Turkey: Poultry Seasoning, Sage,
• Simply Organic Gravy Mixes
• Ham: Whole Cloves
• Egg Nog: Nutmeg
• Apple Cider: Cinnamon Sticks, Star Anise
• Flour: Ginger, Cinnamon, Vanilla
• Sugar: Vanilla Extract
• Squash: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ground Cloves
• Cider/Wine: Simply Organic Mulling Spice

Banish Bad Vibes

People prone to negative emotions and stress may be 40 percent more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, according to a study in Neurology. Study authors hypothesize that a lifetime of stress could adversely affect an area of the brain responsible for regulating memory.

To stop stress from wreaking havoc on your brain, Nussbaum recommends devoting 30 minutes a day to calming activities, such as reading. Or, at a minimum, aim for 10 to 15 minutes of meditation. Aromatherapy, in addition to meditation, can result in increased calming and relaxation. Try both for maximum results and increased energy.

Be a Social Butterfly - it's Good For You!

Staying social could shield your brain from the effects of aging, shows a study from the Harvard School of Public Health. Among a group of 16,638 older adults, the least socially active participants showed twice the rate of memory decline compared with the most gregarious folks. So if you're already social - good job; if not, take dance lessons are start traveling to new places and you will meet new friends.

Traveling this Winter?

Germs can spread rapidly in the recycled air of airplanes, so protect yourself accordingly and take precautions to beef up your immune system starting about 3 days prior to any air travel. I am a BIG fan of Emergen-C since Vitamin C is a great immune booster. Emergen-C also comes in easy to carry packets that you can also take with you on the plane and in your luggage to guard yourself while you are away and for the return flight home as well. In addition to taking your vitamins (Zinc and Echinacea are good immune boosters as well), drink lots of water and do all the right things in terms of nutrition and exercise before taking a trip, to maximize your immune functions.

Aura Cacia Wins Natural Health Beauty Award!

Just in time for Fair Trade month, Aura Cacia® received some great news from Natural Health Magazine. This year over 2,000 readers participated in the voting process!

The winner for the “Body Scrub” category is Aura Cacia® Fair Trade Certified™ Nourishing Body Polish. Available in Ginger/ Mint (item #188101), Lavender (item #188102) and
Patchouli/Sweet Orange (item #188103). The winners were honored at an award ceremony on September 15th in New York City and will be featured in the October 2009 issue of Natural
Health Magazine.

Soothers for Post Summer Relief (cont.)

Itch-Relief Bath
Take this soothing bath when bug bites, heat rash, or other itch instigators are getting the best of you.
1/4 cup lavender flowers
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup cornstarch

Combine all ingredients and tie into a muslin bag. Place in the tub while filling with warm water. ( e cornstarch will dissolve into the water.) Use the bag to wash with; don’t use soap, and don’t rinse off . Other itch-soothing herbs (especially good for a poultice for skin that’s been irritated by poison oak or ivy or other plants) include: catnip, chickweed, comfrey, goldenseal, lemon balm, marshmallow root, mugwort

Summer Skin and Hair Soothers

Summer’s fun in the sun—and wind and water—can take a toll on your skin and hair. If you’re feeling parched, itchy, or just plain droopy after summer fun, herbs can help nourish, relieve, soothe and refresh!

Hair-Raising Oil Pack
It takes a week to steep the herbs for this renewing treatment, so you may want to start a new batch as soon as you use up the old. Feel free to substitute other hair-nourishing oils for the olive oil. Coconut, almond, sesame, and jojoba are also good choices.
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon rosemary leaf (for dark hair) or chamomile fowers (for light hair)
1 tablespoon nettle leaf
1 tablespoon sage leaf
1 egg yolk, beaten

Place the oil and the herbs in a glass jar and cover. Let the jar stand, preferably in the sun, for about a week. Strain. When ready to use, mix in the beaten egg yolk. Apply the oil to dry hair, massaging into the scalp and along all of the hair strands. Wrap your head in a warm, wet towel. Leave on for an hour or more. Shampoo well and rinse with half cider vinegar/half water rinse solution.

Stay tuned for more great Soothers for Post Summer Relief....

Celiac Disease & Fair Trade Month

October is both Fair Trade and Celiac Disease (the chronic inflammatory disorder of the small intestine caused by gluten intolerance) Awareness Month and we have a product that meets
customer needs on both accounts. Simply Organic® Fair Trade Certified™ Baking Mixes are gluten free,as well as organic.

Our line-up of mixes includes Banana Bread (item #18933), Carrot Cake (item #18934), Chai Spice Scones (item #18935), Cocoa Biscotti (item #18936), Cocoa Cayenne Cupcakes (item
#18938) and Honeypot Ginger Cookies (item #18939). These irresistible mixes are easy to make requiring 2 to 3 common ingredients and require 5 minutes of prep time or less.

Herbs for Pets

Animals have a long-standing affinity for herbs. In fact, some speculate that humans first learned about herbalism from watching animals. (Ever see a cat eat grass in order to vomit up a hairball? It’s not a pretty sight, but it’s smart -- the feline is self-medicating on plant life.) Treating an animal with herbs isn’t exactly straightforward—you have to take the size of your pet into account, decide what ails her, be patient while the herbs take effect, and be careful to avoid allergic reactions and toxicity(to test for an allergy beforehand, you can gently rub a small amount of the herb on your pet’s skin, and then watch for any signs of irritation). Still, with just a little know how, herbs can help you strengthen your pet’s immune system and treat specific problems.