My favourite organic brand just revamped their website…and I am loving it!
Here is the new look:
You can now shop online too!
And for some amazing reads, check out the resources tab:
If you are new to VG products, and were wondering which ones to try first, I can highly recommend the Mango & Vanilla Body Butter and Scrub as well as the Carrot & Elderflower Eye Gel (works wonders for dark circles!).
Enjoy!
Website: http://www.thevictoriangarden.co.za
Hi everyone, this is just a quick note to tell you about SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary. They need our help! As you might imagine, the finances needed to feed lions are enormous, and this sanctuary really need your help with funds. Below are all the details (copied from their facebook page), so please let them know if you can help. These lions were saved from terrible circumstances, so let’s see if we can help these majestic cats!
It appears that our troubles with trying to raise sufficient funding to continue to provide a safe sanctuary for our large predators is getting worse. We have managed to arrange for our credit to be extended for another week with great difficulty as we have depleted every single cent we had available to feed the lions and our supplier made it very clear that NO further credit will be extended.
Our appeals for funding has had very little response and hardly any funding came in for our lions and no large charity has responded to our calls for help. We are faced with a very serious dilemma.
In reality I guess the very lives of the animals we have grown to love now depends solely on your generosity and goodwill as without your help we are simply not in a position to to keep them. There is no other way to put it.
We will be forced within days to evaluate our situation and make a decision about the lions future. We simply cannot compromise the rest of our operation and other wildlife in order to keep our lions. Basic economics (as much as we hate to say this) will determine otherwise. So I really would like to ask for your urgent assistance and donations failing which we will have no other option but to shut down our large predator facility. Please do respond asap.
You will find the background of our lions and how they were rescued from canned lion breeding and hunting on our LION RESCUE blog site
ON-LINE DONATIONS can be made with PayPal or PayFast or by means of a direct internet banking transfer into our SANWILD WILDLIFE TRUST Account no 9111221180 with ABSA, Danie Joubert Street, Tzaneen, 0850 South Africa. The branch code is 334349, the swift code ABSAZAJJ, the Iban code ZA632005.
For more information please email me on louise@sanwild.org or phone +27 (0) 15-3839958.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SanWild-Wildlife-Sanctuary/163363760361196
Each season has its pros and cons. And as summer is busy moving out, and the days get colder, I am reminded by the small things I love about summer. So just to say goodbye to summer (till we see it again in a few months!), here are 10 things I love about SUMMER:
What are you going to miss most about summer?
So my latest miracle pick-me-up (after coffee, of course!) is DARK CHOCOLATE! Not only is it delicious, but has amazing health benefits! Now you can have your chocolate, and eat it too! I do not like overly sweet chocolates, so dark chocolate is really yummy too eat.
Here are just a few of the benefits:
Pain relief: I actually discovered this by accident. I had extreme lady pains and usually only the strongest medication works. I was out of my usual pills, and ate a block of dark chocolate to take my mind of it. Well, a few minutes later, the pain subsided! I tried it again and again, and it works every time! Also great for headaches! I did some research on the internet and a few sites confirmed my belief that dark chocolate works for pain relief.
Blood Pressure: Dark chocolate is rich in minerals such as magnesium and copper, these minerals aid in regulating normal blood pressure and subsequently maintaining proper heartbeat levels.
Stress: Eating a delicious piece of chocolate could possibly reduce stress levels; it works by stimulating the production of endorphin that may give rise to a happy feeling. In addition the dark chocolate variety contains stimulants such as theobromine and caffeine that are major stimulants. (Please note that theobromine is toxic to cats, and thus the reason why you should not feed your cats chocolate!)
Blood circulation: Eating dark chocolate not only relaxes but also makes the blood vessels more flexible. It also boosts the functioning of endothelial cells which line the blood cells. It also decreases the risk posed by innumerable cardiovascular diseases.
Lowers Cholesterol Levels: Dark chocolates have been medically proven to reduce the bad cholesterol level in the human body significantly, up to 10 /12 percentage.
Boosting Immunity: The two kinds of flavonoids present in chocolates are mainly Catechins and Epicatechins. Dark chocolate has more of Catechins, which boosts the human body immune system and possibly preventing major chronic ailments.
Good for Anemic Condition: The flavonoids compounds are useful in treating anemic patients and those having poor dietary habits.
Rich in Antioxidants: Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant. Reports from National Institute of Food & Nutrition Research in Italy suggests that these antioxidants actually gulp up free moving radicals and other dangerous molecules that may be potential health hazards.
Cures Depression: The serotonin level in the dark chocolates may act as an effective anti-depressant. The dark chocolate contains serotonin, which has the qualities of anti- depressants.
Heart health: Little intake of dark chocolate boosts the vascular health. It contains a lot of poly phenols and anti-oxidants. The anti-oxidants present in dark chocolate also helps fighting against pre mature aging.
One of the most exciting health benefits of dark chocolate is that it helps in enhancing the production of endorphin, which results in generation of feeling of pleasure in human beings.
VERY IMPORTANT: These health benefits are only applicable when you eat “real “dark chocolate. The chocolate should be fair trade, organic, and at least 70 percent cocoa. Avoid additives and “fillings. There are many flavoured dark chocolates by well-known brands that only contains a small amount of cocoa solids, with a lot of added sugar and preservatives.
I recommend the following:
Lindt 85% Dark Chocolate. It is not “organic” or fair trade, but seeing that there is only one organic shop in the whole of Bloemfontein, it is much easier getting it at the nearest Pick n Pay or Checkers. (Retail price is R30.00)
The Cachet Fair for Life Organic Dark Chocolate – 72% is not quite as bitter as the Lindt, but it is delicious! You can get it from http://www.faithful-to-nature.co.za or http://www.greenlove.co.za. Retail price is about R45.00
Honest Raw Chocolate Slab 88% is also an organic brand from online stores. I haven’t tried it myself, but heard only good things about it. It is still on my “to eat” list.
I hope you are inspired to go out and get yourself some dark chocolate today!
Sources:
http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/other/health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20120424/pick-dark-chocolate-health-benefits
If you are on Twitter, I am sure you have already heard about the #bloggersecretsanta. The idea is simple. You get a blogger to buy a gift for. And another blogger buys something for you. And the gift must be under R100 (postage excluded). So the avoid getting something you absolutely hate, Charlotte from http://thestilettomum.wordpress.com/ asked us to do a post on what we would like to get as a gift. So any blogger who landed my name, listen up!
So these are the things I am totally into:
Anything green/organic from Faithful-to-Nature or Greenlove.
I only use organic/green products so any things in that line would be so much appreciated!
Anything from The Victorian Garden,their stuff is awesome!
Bee Natural have lots of new flavour lip balms which I would love to try! And at R13.50, they are so affordable! (This might be helpful: I’d LOVE any organic lip balm!)
Spiezia, Oh Lief,Tranquil Beauty Treats and Balm Balm are also some of my favourites.
I also have my eye on Tip Top Nail polish. This is my favourite brand of nail polish, as it is so long lasting and free of nasties. My current “wants” includes Pot ‘O Berries, Cha Cha Cha and Fairy Dust.
I also love stationary and especially Magnetic Page Markers. They come in packs of 6 and are just so cute!! I usually alternate between reading about 3 books and magazines, so they are really useful!
Favourite colours: All shades between blue and green (including teal and turquoise) and silver.
I don’t like over the top fashion accessories and flashy things. I’m quite a plain jane, so keep that in mind! Small, earthy accessories are really my thing!
Hope my #bloggersecretsanta finds this useful!
I am putting up the “Be Back Soon” sign again, because I don’t want you to think that I have disappeared. Things will be a bit busy for the following few weeks, so I won’t be posting reviews or long blog posts during this time. I will be posting a little something-something though, every now and then, just to let you know that I am still here! Thank you for reading my blog…stay tuned!
So I hope everyone has their braai thongs ready, because National Braai day is almost here!
In 2005, a media campaign sought to “re-brand” the holiday as National Braai Day, in recognition of the South African culinary tradition of holding informal backyard barbecues, or braais. On 5 September 2007, Archbishop Desmond Tutu celebrated his appointment as patron of South Africa’s Braai Day, affirming it to be a unifying force in a divided country (by donning an apron and tucking into a boerewors sausage). Organiser Jan Scannell announced that the aim is not to have a mass braai, but smaller ones with friends and family.
I think it’s such a great way to unite South Africans of all races, languages and ages. Whether you braai meat, fish or veggies, you have no excuse not to pull out the braaier on 24 September 2012. And if you think the braaier is only for steaks, think again! In Jan Braai’s new book, Fireworks, you will discover an array of things to throw on the grid. From known recipes like the Traditional Braaibroodjies to recipes from abroad like the German classic, Bratkartoffeln. The one thing they all have in common? They are made on the braai!
Usually cooking books have only a few useful recipes with a lot of unknown ingredients, but not this one! All ingredients are readily available and the recipes are so simple! What’s more, the book has a personal touch with tips and tricks from Jan Braai, as well as a fridge full of humour!
“A braaibroodjie is your chance in life to have your bread buttered on both sides – use it” – Jan Braai
If you don’t own a copy yet, you can get it from Exclusives or Loot. It retails for about R257 and is definitely worth every sent!!
You can like Jan Braai’s Facebook page here and National Braai Day’s page here.
You can visit their website at http://www.braai.com
I already have a few ideas as to what we will be braaiing…what’s on your menu?
Just over a week ago, we visited the Kamersvol Geskenke event in Bloemfontein, and what a delight! It’s not often that an event like this comes to the Free State, and being an artsy-crafty type person myself, I was very appreciative of all the handmade goodies. Products ranged from clothing to ceramics and there was even a deli with dozens of deliciousness. Once we started tasting, there was no turning back and we left with bags full of ‘delicatessens’, of which come include dukkah, olive paste and the yummiest balsamic vinegar!
The event was so much fun and so different than other expos or exhibitions I have attended in the past. I used to be an event organiser, so I have seen quite a lot before, but none like this. The atmosphere is just so different and I think it’s this that makes Kamersvol so unique. I couldn’t buy everything I wanted at the event, but luckily most of the products exhibited are on their online shop too! My “want” list is getting longer and longer…
Make sure you don’t miss a Kamersvol event in your area!
Follow them on Twitter here and like them on Facebook here
I browsed my favourite green websites to bring you the latest deals and bargains!
So what are you waiting for? Get clicking, and add to cart!
Just some “funny cartoons” to get you thinking! Do your bit for the planet! :)
Taste.Explore.Live 