After being inspired by DonnaMaria Coles Johnson’s (@indiebusiness on Twitter – a must follow for any indie business owner!) creation of Fitceos, I knew I wanted to jump on board. I love the easy method of promoting health in all aspects of life. We post tips on eating healthy, recipes, as well as tweet our workouts. I love the accountability this provides and look forward to seeing my life (and waistline!) transform as a result of being part of this group.

DonnaMaria recently created her own tofu salad and her creation inspired me to do the same. Here’s her recipe and photo:

My inspiration for eating tofu!

Looks yummy, doesn’t it? I set out to make my own tofu salad and prayed my family would like it as well, so that we could incorporate some vegetarian meals into our diet. Here’s what I did (amounts are approximate – I was so hungry and partially skeptical that I’d like it, I didn’t write everything down):

2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil – heated on medium high and added
1/2 pkg of Naysoya Organic Lite Firm Tofu – drained and cubed
Seasoned with 1 Tbl minced garlic, pepper and spicy grill seasoning for chicken/fish

I cooked this for approximately 10 minutes, stirring often. I tasted it about halfway through and it seemed too soft to me, so I kept cooking to brown the outside and make it a bit crisper. Texture is a huge deal for me with food, and one of the main reasons I’d never eaten tofu before was because I was afraid it’d just be mush.

Meanwhile, I mixed:
Baby Spinach
Iceburg Lettuce
Red cabbage
2 celery stalks – cut into 1/4″ chunks
1 carrot, chopped
1 green onion (both green & white parts), chopped
handful of dried cranberries

After the tofu was cooked, I simply mixed it into the salad and served it with some freshly baked bread.

Results: I really liked it! The texture was still a bit soft for my taste, maybe next time I’ll get the extra firm, but it was definitely edible. The tofu absorbed the seasoning flavors and the cranberries gave it enough of a sweet flavor that no salad dressing was needed. All in all a wonderfully flavored, filling and low fat meal! My husband’s response: “What did you cook this chicken in? It’s good!” I’m glad his first meal with tofu was a good experience for this die-hard meat and potatoes guy. My daughter (2 years old) ate it all up as well so it was a thumbs up all the way around.

We’ll definitely be eating more tofu in the future – in fact, I just read a recipe for a maple glazed tofu that I’m thinking about for tonight! What are your favorite tofu recipes? I’d love to try them out, so please share!

Join us tomorrow for a live chat and enter to win one of two $25 Vintage Body Spa gift certificates along with other home spa related products! We’ll be chatting about how to create your own spa experience at home and sharing home spa recipes. I’m honored to be cohosting with:

Katja from Skimbaco Lifestyle
Katie from GoodLife {eats}
Shannon from The Bath Project
Mommy Niri of Mommy Niri

If you are not familiar with Snazl yet – sign up today and check it out. It is like YouTube and Ustream combined, but better – video and picture sharing on real time from multiple locations.

So come back here at 2pm EST tomorrow, or head to the Snazl homepage and join in the chat. We’re excited to answer your questions about spa beauty products, eating healthy and transforming your home into a serene sanctuary. See you there!

We at Vintage Body Spa seek to make our products as naturally as possible while continuing to provide a variety of wonderful scents from which our customers can choose. Scents can be added to products via essential oils or fragrance oils. Following is a brief discussion of the differences between the two, why we use both and our plans for scenting our products in the future.

Essential oils aren’t truly oils, but they’re the essence of plants that have usually been steam distilled. They are 100% pure and natural, and very concentrated. Because of their purity and concentration, essential oils are typically more expensive than fragrance oils.

Often essential oils are used by themselves to scent products, but combining essential oils can create wonderful blends as well. Essential oils have been used for centuries to treat a variety of mental, emotional and physical ailments. They are completely safe when used properly. For instance, lavender essential oil in distilled water can make a refreshing spray that serves to relax and encourage restful slumber. Though they are completely natural, care must always be taken and each essential oil should be researched thoroughly prior to its use, as the use of some are explicitly discouraged with certain medical conditions or pregnancy.

On the other hand, fragrance oils (also called aromatic oils) are synthetic. They are man-made in a laboratory. They are used to create scents that either cannot come from plants or to create scent blends that are less expensive than essential oils. Fragrance oils cannot be used as natural remedies, and some people may have allergic reactions to fragrance oils.

While we want to offer a wide variety of scents for our customers to choose from, we also want to continue evolving as an eco-friendly company. So we have decided that any new scents that are released in the future will be made only from essential oils. We are confident that you’ll continue to be happy with our scent offerings and we’ll be happy knowing that we’re offering the most natural products for you to enjoy.

We love feedback and answering questions, so feel free to post your thoughts and questions on fragrance and/or essential oils and we’ll be happy to answer them.

We are so very blessed as Susan Johnston, an amazingly talented songwriter, actress, writer and entrepreneur has generously donated the lyrics to her song ‘Don’t Touch Me That Way Again’ to raise awareness of our Behind the Curtain initiative and the ways in which we’re working to combat violence. This beautiful song was also used in a National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Campaign. Here are the poignant lyrics:

Don’t Touch Me That Way Again

We can talk it out
I’m tired of being hurt
Tired of feeling pain
Crouching down
I want my feet back on the ground
Walk with me, talk to me
Just don’t touch me that way again

You have no right
There should be no fighting
Its just a disagreement
I know we can work it out
Don’t touch me that way again

No matter how hard you try
I can see through your denials
Your words hurt me too
I have feelings and a right to live a violence free life
Walk with me, talk to me, just don’t touch me that way again.

Embrace me, hold me tight, don’t hurt me-instead just count to ten
Walk outside and don’t come back until you can walk with me, talk with me.

© Susan Johnston

Not only did Ms. Johnston offer her song, she’s also generously donating $3.00 from each sale when our readers purchase her book to support the Buy One, Give One program. LA For Free, Almost is a great resource for anyone living in or traveling to the Los Angeles area who is needing to save and/or make money. Johnston was able to survive her first year and a half in LA with little to no money using the principles in the book.

Everyone at Vintage Body Spa is thankful for Ms. Johnston’s generosity, and we’re excited to offer our readers the opportunity to have yet another way in which they can support Behind the Curtain.

Avocado - Credit: chris27

Avocado Oil
INCI Name: Persea Gratissima
Extraction Method: Cold Pressed

Although traditionally classified as a vegetable oil, the avocado is really a fruit (it has a pit/stone). Regardless, the oil pressed from the fleshy pulp surrounding the pit is nutrient-rich, containing many vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, D and E, lecithin, potassium and numerous fatty acids.

*Vitamin A helps skin to retain moisture and eliminates dry patches while fighting the signs of aging.

* Vitamin D is sometimes called the ‘sunlight vitamin’, as the body naturally produces it when the suns’ ultraviolet B (UVB) rays hit the skin. Vitamin D plays a role in skin cell metabolism and growth, and has been used to treat the itching and flaking associated with psoriasis.

* Vitamin E, well-known for its antioxidant properties helps to protect skin cells from damaging free radicals. Products containing vitamin E are often used to help reduce the appearance of scars.

* Lecithin helps to repair and protect the skin as it allows the oil to penetrate deep into the skin tissue.

* Potassium has been called the ‘youth mineral’ because it helps the body maintain smooth, tight skin.

Avocado oil is also high in phytosterols, which are suggested to heal sun damage and scars as well as reducing age spots. Studies have also shown that avocado oil significantly increases the amount of collagen in the skin. As we age, the amount of collagen naturally decreases and leads to wrinkles and lines in the skin. Since avocado oil is easily absorbed into deep tissue, it is a wonderful option for those with mature skin looking for a softer, regenerated appearance.

While avocado is good for all skin types, it is particularly beneficial to dry, sun damaged or mature skin. It is also known to be especially helpful in relieving the itching and dryness of psoriasis and eczema.

You can find this wonderful oil in the following Vintage Body Spa products:
Massage / Bath Oil
Wake Up Sugar Scrub
Whipped Sugar Scrub

Stay tuned for even more products to be released that incorporate this beneficial oil!

One of the latest Vintage Body Spa releases is our Salt Soak. I’m sure you’ve heard of bath salts before, but do you know why they’re so good for you, and a great spa product to pamper yourself with?

Dead Sea Salts have been used for thousands of years for their therapeutic effects. But why is salt from the Dead Sea so special? The Dead Sea contains ten times the salt content of other sea water. Further, it is a more complex mineral composition. Most salt in normal ocean water is over 90% sodium chloride, compared to about 15% in Dead Sea Salt. The remainder is made up of a rich blend of minerals including potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride and bromide. These minerals have been shown to increase circulation, prevent fluid retention, and relax muscles.

We’ve added additional ingredients to provide further benefits as well. Epsom salts are high in magnesium and sulfate, and are considered to be a natural stress reliever, as they draw toxins from the body, reduce swelling and relax muscles. Baking soda softens, soothes and gently exfoliates skin. Finally, grapeseed oil is a fantastic lightweight, non-greasy oil that will leave your skin smooth and moisturized.

Simply pour 1/4 cup into warm, running bath water and soak in the tub for 20 minutes. You’ll emerge refreshed with silky smooth skin as well. Our salt soaks also make a perfect first step to a pedicure.

Currently available in 12 oz containers, we’ll soon be releasing 1 pound refills packaged in biodegradeable bags – just another way we’re being gentle on the earth. The first scent to be released was Citrus Blast, perfect for summertime fun or year round for a energizing, revitalizing pick-me-up. It’s an invigorating blend of Litsea Cubeba (May Chang), Lemon, Lime, Tangerine, Grapefruit and Peppermint esential oils. This blend wakes me up in the morning and kick-starts my day.

Stay tuned, for we’ll be launching even more essential oil blends in the coming weeks for you to enjoy. Which scents would you most like to see in our salt soaks?

We love our retailers and are so blessed to have them as part of the Vintage Body Spa family. So we want to celebrate and highlight them in some blog posts. Be sure to visit their sites or their brick and mortar stores and thank them for carrying our products!

Eartheart Gallery and Gift Shop has carried our line since October 2008. They have 2 locations in Nevada City, CA. I love their tagline: “Natural Beauty from the Heart of the Earth”. They carry a wide variety of products, from bath and body to minerals to gourmet food and handcrafted art. Here’s a photo of their Vintage Body Spa display during the holiday season:

Lynda, the owner, wrote a beautiful note and I wanted to share it with you.

I wanted to personally write and thank you for the contribution Vintage Body Spa made to our holiday success. We are a new store and must choose our products wisely. I knew I wanted to carry a very small and premium quality selection of bath and body care items and my criteria is pretty rigid. I am a licensed esthetician and have been for over 25 years. I’ve worked in top spas in San Diego, San Francisco and The Hamptons, NY. So I know good when I see it. Your products have utterly delicious and very unusual fragrances, they are lush and rich when they say they are and light and comforting when promised. The packaging is very appealing and imparts a handmade/old fashioned feel that implies small batch/hand mixed/cottage industry type quality. I have several of your products in my bathroom at home, I gave many of my friends VBS for Christmas and many of my customers have returned to repurchase, which is the ultimate confirmation. I appreciate your committment to the idea that bathing is a spiritual ritual as well as part of our self care. I applaud your decision to go green and this will strengthen our relationship all the more. It is my pleasure to use and carry your line of products and I look forward to seeing whatever new items you may be presenting in 2009. Much success and prosperity to you and all the good people at VBS,
Sincerely, Lynda and Dan Davis
Owners of Eartheart, Nevada City, Ca

Thanks Lynda and Dan, we’re very happy to work with you as well, and we look forward to a continued relationship with you!

We’re a little late in posting this, but we did choose a winner in the Pamper a Mom this Mother’s Day contest. Thanks to all who submitted great stories about many deserving moms. We’re happy to announce that Karen V. of Illinois has been awarded a 3-month membership to our Indulgence of the Month Club. She has already received her first month’s products, and her daughter, Amanda is enjoying the Whipped Sugar Scrub in Lavender Bergamot she chose as her prize. Congratulations, Karen and thanks Amanda for submitting the touching story of you and your mom. We’re happy to help pamper her!

We adore our customers, and are thrilled when they provide product reviews so you don’t have to take our word for how great the entire Vintage Body Spa line works. So without further ado, here’s Jessica from Chesapeake, VA:

“I absolutely love the Rose Tea and Vanilla Suga’ Lips Lip Balm. I have always been a big fan of olive oil based lip balms, but sometimes they can be too heavy and sticky. Not so with Suga’ Lips. It is light, silky and perfectly scented. I also love the tin it comes in because it is easy to open and close with one hand.”

This Chesapeake Photographer says she ALWAYS takes her Suga’ Lips Lip Balm in her bag – even to Turks and Caicos where this photo was taken. We’re so glad to hear our humble lip balm travels worldwide with you, and thanks for sharing your review, Jessica!