French-milled soap favors for Provence-inspired wedding

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When Emma and Greg were planning their wedding, they knew that France would play a huge part. Emma, an avid Francophile, fluent speaker and French PHD candidate, knew she wanted to pull influence from Provence for the decoration and menu, but also wanted to pay homage to her southern, North Carolina roots. The result was a whimsical blend of French food and Mason jar drinks.

For the favors, they decided to gift fragrant mini bars of South of France® soap. A bar of Lemon Verbena and a bar of Lavender soap were wrapped with craft paper and wrapped with striped string. Each package contained a little card complete with the story of South of France® Natural Body Care and their wedding date. On the outside of the package they stamped the South of France® logo and fixed a few sprigs of dried lavender.

South of Frane soap favors

South of France suitcase

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Enjoy the uplifting scent of Lemon Verbena

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Infused with the scent of fresh lemon trees growing amid a cluster of verbena plants, our Lemon Verbena soap is an herbaceous getaway. Take a deep breath and let your self be transported to a sun dappled grove. Don’t forget the picnic!

South of France® Natural Body Care
Where will we take YOU today?

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Easy homemade clay mask for naturally clear skin

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Clay-mask

Nothing epitomizes the relaxing spa day quite like a face mask. The moment we apply whatever concoction we’ve purchased onto our face, the moment is complete. Face masks come in all shapes and sizes and whether you’re into store bought formulas or homemade, there are a plethora of choices available to you.

One of our favorite face masks is actually one you can whip up yourself. All you need is a little bentonite clay and water. This velvety clay is derived from volcanic ash and is known for its ability to absorb and cleanse, making it a great mask. It helps remove blackheads and clogged pores.

Simple clay mask:
2 tablespoons bentonite clay
2 tablespoons water

Make a paste and apply to skin. Let sit for 20 minutes or until dry and then rinse off with warm water and a wash cloth.

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Give mom a day of relaxation with a personalized spa basket.

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For our third DIY basket idea, we decided to focus on rest and relaxation. Every mom needs a moment to herself, a chance to take a deep breath and let the worries of the world melt away. For our basket, we focused on natural and organic elements. We started with a fluffy organic cotton towel and all natural soy votive candles. A natural bristle body brush is perfect for sloughing off rough skin and revealing a fresh complexion. To add a special touch, we included two homemade spa gifts, a homemade bubble bath and lavender bath salts. Finally, we topped it off with the heady floral scent of our Gardenia bath bar. Don’t be afraid to change up the contents, though. For example, you could skip the bubble bath and try these homemade bath fizzies instead.

If you’d like to try the bubble bath, we tried this recipe using out Orange Honey Blossom liquid soap. Skip the essential oils and the dried flowers. The recipe for calming bath salts can be found here along with two other ideas for homemade gifts.

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For the gardening Mom: A trio of South of France® soaps and great gear for the dirt!

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Gardening-mom

If your mother loves to garden, try creating a “basket” just for her. For our Mother’s Day gardening gift, we filled a pretty pot with tons of great tools. We included hand tools for digging and planting, some gloves to protect her hands and a handkerchief in case she gets a little sweaty! We topped that off with some vegetable and ground cover plants. If your mom is into flowers, fill the pot with her favorite annuals.

And just to keep the garden theme going, we added our favorite herbaceous South of France® scents, like Lemon Verbena and Lavender. The result is a perfectly packaged gift for the mom who’s not afraid to get her hands a little dirty!

South of France® Natural Body Care
Where will we take YOU today?

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A gift basket for the Mom who likes to cook.

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bakingmom

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and if you haven’t picked the perfect gift out for your mother, have no fears. We’re showing you our favorite gift ideas for Moms with different hobbies, passions and interests.

The cooking basket is perfect for the mom who loves to cook. Try tailoring the content to the type of cooking your mother enjoys. Is she an avid baker? Use a mixing bowl as your basket. Fill that bowl with a rolling pin, whisk and seasonings like nutmeg, cinnamon or homemade vanilla extract. What if she enjoys Asian cuisine? Grab a bamboo steamer and fill it with unique seasonings or sauces she may not be able to find at her regular grocery store and a cookbook to help her learn to make her favorite dishes.

Finally, we topped our gift off with some utilitarian items like a well-made dish cloth and a bottle of fresh South of France® Green Tea liquid soap. The light, fresh scent is perfect for the kitchen.

What would you add to your cooking basket?

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Keep locks lustrous with natural hair treatments

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With the arrival of May, it’s not long before pool parties, beach trips and the intensity of summer sun is upon us and our hair. Don’t worry! We’ve tried some natural remedies to keep your strands silky smooth all season long.

Hot Almond Oil Treatment
Ingredients
Almond Oil
Essential Oil based on your hair type
Very dry hair – Burdock root, comfrey, parsley or sage
Mildly oily hair – Calendula, lemon juice, lavender, mint or rosemary
Dry Scalp – Chamomile, catmint, rosemary, parsley, thyme

Measure out two tablespoons of almond oil into a bowl and add 6 drops of your essential oil. Stir the mixture well while gently heating the oil on low. Once the mixture is warm, pour a small amount onto your hand and work into your hair. If you tend to have oily hair avoid your roots. Instead, start an inch down and work out to the tips. Next, place a shower cap over your hair and wrap it in a heated towel. Let the oil stay on for 20-30 minutes then shampoo as usual. For very thick hair try shampooing twice to get all of the oil out.

*Heat the towel by running it under hot water and wringing it out.

Rosewater Pick-me-up
Ingredients
4 inch gauze squares
Rose Water or Orange Flower Water
Hair Brush

Over-washing and heat styling can cause hair to look dry and frizzy, but skipping washes can leave you with a case of the greasies. To give your hair a break and keep oil at bay, try a cleanse. This removes dirt and oil while giving your hair a nice clean scent. Take several 4” gauze pieces and soak them in rose or orange flower water. Wring them out and place one into the bristles of your brush. Try to work it down into the brush so that it can still comb the hair and allow the gauze to lightly rub the surface. Work in sections to brush thorough all of your hair. Periodically change the Gauze and repeat until there is no visible dirt on the white gauze square.

 

 

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Taking you to a street side café in the South of France

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Almond

One sniff of our Almond soap and you’ll be instantly transported to the picturesque streets of the south of France, where small cafés serve steaming pots of café au lait and buttery almond topped croissants.

South of France® Natural Body Care
Where will we take YOU today?

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Mustard and pinot gris marinated boneless pork chops

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finishedThis simple dish may have only a handful of ingredients and minimal prep, but the result is a flavorful meal that feels like it took hours. We used the Pinot Gris Mustard we made as part of the marinade for a nice bold base. Serve with mixed greens and a piece of crusty bread. porkchops

 

honey

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Pinot Gris Mustard or any whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup Pinto Gris
2 teaspoons herbes de provence
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon of salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 boneless, butterflied pork chops
1/4 cup olive oil

seasoning

marinade

marinating

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Place pork chops in marinade and allow them to marinate for 20 minutes. Once meat has marinated, heat a cast iron skillet to medium. Once pan is hot, add pork chops. Allow the chops to cook for three to five minutes on each side.

Once pork chops are done, set them to the side and allow them to rest for five minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the leftover marinade to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and reduce for five minutes.

Plate pork chops with fresh greens and drizzle reduced marinade over chops and salad. Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Give Mom a spa treatment at home with a Peppermint foot scrub.

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foot scrub

 

Mother’s Day is around the corner and what better to give Mom than a spa day? To help you along, we’re going to share some of our favorite recipes for homemade beauty treatments. From head to toe, we’ll make sure Mom is pampered on her special day!

In case you missed it, don’t forget to try out our recipe for homemade lip balm.
http://littlestonehouse.com/index.php/pamper-your-pout-with-this-shea-butter-balm/

Invigorating Peppermint Scrub
1 cup Kosher Salt
Sweet Almond Oil
Peppermint essential oil

Add salt to bowl. Add almond oil slowly until you have a wet but still grainy mixture. Add 3-4 drops of peppermint essential oil.

Moisturizing Brown Sugar and Honey Scrub
1 cup of brown sugar
Olive oil
2 tablespoons honey

Add brown sugar to mixing bowl. Add honey. Add olive oil until your mixture is wet but still grainy.

Cleansing Tea Tree Oil Scrub
1 cup Epsom salt
Grapeseed Oil
Tea tree oil

Add salt to bowl. Mix in grapeseed oil until mixture is wet but still thick. Add three drops of tea tree oil.

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