Stay chilly my friends...

I’m not sure if it’s the weird weather changes, excessive cold temperatures (for Cali) or basic PMS, but I’ve been experiencing some gnarly headaches. At least once a day I’m floored by these mind-numbing waves, to intense to ignore yet not exactly a migraine. Interestingly enough, while having dinner with friends last week, the subject of intense headaches/remedies/silliness came up in conversation.  “ What do you do when you have a headache?” our host asked. “No wait, let me tell you what happened first,” he begins. While visiting family in Texas, Aileen was suddenly stricken with a horrible migraine; right smack in the middle of holiday festivities. After trying pills, relaxing and such---it was becoming quite clear that nothing was working. “What are we gonna do????” I can only imagine her sweet face looking up at her husband. (She’s super cute btw.) And then came a suggestion from an unlikely source, her father-in-law. By reputation, a man who doesn’t speak---suddenly says, “Get her a Slurpee.” And so a few drug stores, one Coke Slurpee and one quick brain freeze later-----Voilà! Her migraine was gone.

Now enter silliness and a question that got me thinking. Flash foreword to a couple weeks ago: while Aileen’s husband was across the pond in London--Executively Producing a fabulous new flick---again she found herself with a migraine. “Hellllllp meeeeeee.” She begged from miles away. “Relief is around the corner. Why don’t you go get a Slurpee??!!!” he asked. “I was in to much pain to move!!” she stammered, laughing as they recounted the desperate phone call. And I completely understand this notion. Be it headache, cramps, backache---whatever. Sometimes you’re just in too much pain to want to move at all…period. Besides, that’s what loving, supportive, fantastically cute hubbies and boyfriends are for right? A creature of similar being, her husband lovingly and patiently directed her to kitchen to throw some ice cubes in the blender, add water and drink it “really-really-really fast!” And of course it worked.

His funny question was, “if it were you, would you have dissolved into the couch in pain or gotten up, got in the car and drove your ass to get a Slurpee??” We all laughed as Aileen flashed him a sweet look from across the table. “ I probably would have waited in pain till Kev returned from work and forced him to get me one.” I said proudly. You know I got my girls’ back. “Seeeee!!!” Aileen laughed. But this did get me thinking about the similarity between their home remedy and mine. Usually when I get a headache: I grab my silly lookin gel eye-mask from the fridge, strap that baby on and tear open a popsicle or similar frozen treat. That along with a few Ibuprofen usually does the trick. And sometimes the coolness feels so good I scratch the pills altogether.

So the next time you have a headache, maybe try adding a little cool to your day. Plus your eyes can be sensitive to too much heat, bright lights, dust, etc. Using a cold eye-mask can help beat stress, headaches and even relax puffy eyes. You can pick up a gel eye-mask at any drug store, Target or Bath&Body Works. My personal favorite is a Target special that only costs $3 bucks and can be cooled in the fridge or freezer for the ultimate chill. 

And since it’s an unplanned snack, why not keep it healthy? My favorite frozen treat of the moment: frozen Greek Yogurt Pops by Yasso. They’re gluten-free, fat-free, kosher and contain no corn syrup. You can find them at your local Gelson’s Market. 

Baby you've got it!

It has been my experience that some of the best products, find you. At the start of winter I was walking through Target, hiding from the boy to prolong my shopping experience, and suddenly I stopped dead in my tracks. Seduced by the sweet smell of Johnson & Johnson baby lotion, I found my way into the baby section. Rows and rows of that famously powder pink bottle beckoned me. I was helpless to resist its charm, reminiscent of all that is good and clean and sweet about babyhood. Amongst the barrage of J&J and Burt’s Bees products were a few new names and one that I’ve repeatedly passed up, California Baby. Developed by a mother, their product line consists of vegan, gentle washes, shampoos, moisturizers and creams for babies, kids and sensitive adults. 

I had heard of the line in the past and actually used to give a friend a hard time for using their sensitive scalp shampoo.  Though my teasing was based solely on the idea of a forty-year old man using baby shampoo, it was all in good fun. However, one of their decadent products has me eating my own words. California Baby, Calendula Cream, to date is the single best moisturizing cream I have ever used. Fabulous enough to bump L’Occitane’s best-selling Lavender Crème Main hand cream out of my number one spot. Yes…its that good.

Botanically based, this cream is packed with vegan, concentrated, and organic ingredients. Aloe Vera, rosemary, French lavender and Clary sage paired with concentrated Calendula (Kal’len’dula) officinalis extract soothe and moisturize even the most dehydrated skin. Calendula is a genus of species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the daisy family, Asteraceae or the pot marigold. It has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties, which make it perfect for soothing irritated tissue. In fact, after discovering the product myself, I went online to see what other consumers had to say regarding its performance and scent. I was surprised to find out that many of the women raving about the cream were individuals suffering from Eczema or severe cases of Dermatitis.  Even some women who are breast cancer survivors and have suffered skin damage from radiation treatments/scaring---rave about Calendula Cream and how it’s helped their skin to heal and recover. Did I mention it’s a baby product too?

The cream is light, fluffy and has a calming herbal scent. It completely absorbs into the skin, does not leave a film and the scent is not over powering. It smells fresh with a touch of lavender, reminiscent of a spa. Being a bit of a germaphobe, I wash my hands incessantly. Naturally this leads to desert dry skin and cracked knuckles. This cream has single handedly brought my skin back from the dead. No more granny hands! I keep it on my nightstand and it serves as my evening retreat. You can pick it up at your local Target and some Whole Foods stores. A 2 oz. jar will set you back  $12.99 and the 4 oz. retails for $22.00.

Whether you have kids or not, the baby product section of some retail stores can prove to be highly rewarding, especially if you have sensitive skin or allergies. The California Baby line of products is amazing. In my humble opinion, that’s saying a lot for a vegan brand.  Its hard to find eco-cosmetic companies that can actually master the science that is the fine art of creating the perfect “cocktail” of a product----that actually works. For example: You can open any random jar of vegan “miracle” moisturizer and it literally is just a crème base with a healthy amount of lavender oil---and that’s it! Next thing you know, your fingers look like you’ve been into the fried chicken, your skin is nowhere near soft and you smell like an apothecary. The California Baby brand does just the opposite. Their line of products mixes essential oils and botanical elements that not only smell divine but work together to create a product that actually works! Shampoos and washes that don’t irritate your skin and moisturizers that soothe cracked and dry skin. They also offer pregnancy products/gifts, Diffusers and Oils for your nursery room/bathroom/home, Bath & Hair products, sunscreens and so much more. All just as their tagline reads: Safe, Natural and Fun for babies, kids and adults.

visit California Baby online!