Beauty and the Bees Oatmeal, Honey & Herb Scrub (or Mask)

Hello my huggable hippie friends! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. I sure am! Why? Because I get to tell you about this great new product that I'm super excited about!

Beauty and the Bees is on a mission to truly understand sensitive skin (thank you!) by using high quality natural products like herbs, honey, and oils. They are still one of the few companies that still does things from scratch which is impressive and it makes me want to give them a big ole hug!

They also do not use artificial chemicals! You may have been hearing some talk about palm oil-- no fear! Beauty and the Bees is 100% non RSPO palm oil free! They also make a point to be 100% cruelty free and earth friendly as possible (they use glass or recycled paper-- no plastic!) which I really, really, really love.

I admit that I was really excited when I found Beauty and the Bees product line, and I kind of ordered one or two (or five) items to try out. Later, I contacted the company to ask a question about their shampoo bars and they offered to send me some extra gifts to tell you about!! YAY!! {jumps up and down in excitement} Expect more Beauty and the Bees posts soon! But today, I'm really happy to show off this great little product that I think you'll love!

No Noodles Manicotti with Spinach & Sun-dried Tomatoes

After I started making this simple Italian Salami Salad, I've been obsessed with it! As a result, we now have weekly (sometimes bi-weekly) Italian nights. However Italian food can be a little difficult when you're on a low-carb diet.

Oh, the dilemmas!!

So, Pinterest gave me the idea to make my standard manicotti recipe with eggplant instead of noodles. {Mind Blown}  Yeah, it sounds crazy but it's sooooo good!!! I promise-- you won't miss the noodles and it's a great way to cut down on carbs.

Even The Man likes Eggplant Manicotti so I think it's a win especially considering that I don't even use meat in this recipe! After all, he's a steak and potatoes kind of man, but what's even better is that he actually requests the Italian Salami Salad on a regular basis.

He. Wants. Lettuce. (aka "rabbit food). {passes out from shock}

Easy DIY Solution for Soft, Kissable Lips

I love winter, but my body revolts against it every year. My skin and hair gets dry, my evaporative dry eye acts up, and then my lips always get chapped. I can handle most things, but the chapped lips drive me absolutely crazy!

So now that winter is almost over, I found a simple no-brainer solution for perfectly kissable lips. Oh lala! And I think you're going to love this!

Chapped Lips Nightly Mask

• Coconut Oil
• Raw Honey

It's so simple! You just mix coconut oil and raw honey in a 50:50 mix and spread it on your chapped lips. If it's in a solid state-- that's fine because your body heat will make it melt as it just glides across your chops! {wink}

I suggest using this at night for maximum protection against chapped lips. You will want it to be a little thick because it's going to last all night. Plus, you'll undoubtably lick some of it off because it tastes so yummy! And, trust me, your man (or woman) won't mind it either. {wink wink}

You can make it as you need it or you can make a small batch and store it in a mason jar. It should stay good for quite some time, but be aware that the germs on your hands can transfer to the coconut oil and honey. Although the mix has antibacterial properties I still worry about bacterial growth so I never make more than a week's supply at a time (which is still a really small amount). If you want to make a larger batch, then you can use something (like a popsicle stick) to remove the ingredients instead of your fingers. 

Here's my chapped lips pictures:

And my after chapped lips picture:

You have to try this. It's totally Totes McGotes. 

Pesto Linguine with Scallops & Roasted Tomatoes

The Man decided to have a boy's night out so I decided to indulge myself with some delicious seafood pasta! The best part is that it takes about 15 minutes to make! This is a gluten free version, but you can use regular pasta, too.

Serves 2

Pesto

• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1 oz pine nuts, lightly toasted
• ¼ c parmesan cheese, grated
• 1-2 roasted garlic cloves, minced
• ⅛ c olive oil
• Salt and pepper (optional)

Put all the ingredients into a food processor except the olive oil. Blend until paste forms, then slowly add the olive oil until a sauce forms. Add salt and pepper if desired and pulse to mix.