Organic

Celebrate Spring at Wicked Tulips Flower Farm

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If you are local to Rhode Island, or luckily enough to live over the border in neighboring Massachusetts, you need to get to the Wicked Tulips Flower Farm, the only u-pick tulip farm in New England! They are located in Johnston, RI diagonally across from Dame Orchards! Picture this, you’re frolicking through a field of perfect tulips of every size and color while your favorite melody plays in the background, with not a care in the world.  Wait, you don’t have that fantasy in your head? It must be just me then! But, I bet you like flowers! I knew this place would be for you! I’ll do the frolicking and you can do the picking! I already picked enough flowers to last me for weeks anyways!

Wicked Tulips Flower Farm is a US Grown, pesticide free, bee friendly and unique farm! With over 250,000 tulips planted in more colors, shapes and sizes than you could dream of, this is surely something that everyone can enjoy! Think of the family pictures! Get your “selfie” face ready! Once you enter you will see their show garden (no picking here) and you can view all their varieties and pre-order them for fall delivery at the bulb tent (white tents). Beyond the show garden is the picking garden where you can walk up and down the rows and choose as many tulips as you desire for $1/stem. They have buckets for your convenience. Once your done bring your tulips and bucket to the wrapping station where you will wrap up your tulips in paper for the ride home. There is staff able to assist if you need help!

I am a huge supporter of an organic lifestyle! I am so happy that Wicked Tulips Flower Farm offers organic tulips and is a bee friendly farm! This was the biggest reason I decided to check them out. Just because we are not eating the flowers, choosing organic and bee friendly products is better in the long run. Bees, flying insects such as butterflies/dragonflies and some birds are in danger due to the overuse of pesticides in farming. This includes your little flower farm you have created in your backyard.  These creatures collect pollen, eat seeds and drink the water that is contaminated with pesticide runoff. Even if you don’t use pesticides in your garden, chances are the bulbs and seeds you planted might have them hidden in there. Please try and buy organic bulbs for your garden and support local farmers like Wicked Tulips who choose to leave the “junk” out of their products!

Wicked Tulips Flower Farm

Things to know before you go:

  • You need a ticket. If you visit during the weekend you must pre-purchase your tickets online. No tickets will be sold at the door on weekends. Children 3 and under are free. 4-15 $2.50 and 16 plus $5.00. They are already sold out for Mother’s Day weekend. However, you do not need a ticket for the weekday (it is less crowded as well).
  • Hours: The u-pick field is open 7 days a week. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 6pm. Wednesdays and Fridays 10am-7:30pm. Weekends-Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 7:30pm.
  • Purchase bulbs: You can purchase bulbs for next fall. They are locally grown bulbs and pesticide free! You can order online or at the farm.
  • Cash/Card: Cash or card is accepted, however cash is preferred!
  • Photography is allowed and they love seeing all the photos on social media! But please no tripods!

Go tiptoe through those tulips and have a wonderful time!
Namaste~

Moisturize naturally with Block Island Organics

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I was so excited to be given another opportunity to test and review a product from Block Island Organics. They are a local company whose goal is to provide affordable and safe skin care to everyone. Last summer I rreviewed their sunblock, which was AH-MAY-ZING!  It came in handy on our trip to Disney a few weeks ago! So needless to say when they contacted me about reviewing their new Natural Face Moisturizer SPF 30, I didn’t hesitate. If you are conscientious  about what you put on your face like I am, then look no further! It is a great 2-in-1 antioxidant rich product that offers both daily skin hydration and transparent broad spectrum SPF 30 sun protection. Perfect for the fair maidens like myself!

Block Island Organics

Our moisturizer features organic and natural ingredients like aloe, shea butter, green tea, sunflower seed and pomegranate.  As with all of our products, it’s free of parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, phthalates, dyes and artificial fragrances.  We also don’t do animal testing and use vegan-based formulas.

I thought what a better way to test out this product was to go out for a run along the beach. It’s sunny and super windy and I always come back red-faced from windburn and the sun’s rays. I even have the pictures to prove it. I no longer leave the house for a run without this product on my face. The colder temps are coming and with that brings outdoor sports enthusiasts! This would be perfect for a day on the slopes or those outdoor hikes. But of course, it is positively perfect for everyday use; Naturally!

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No moisturizer: Red-faced from the sun and wind

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Moisturizer: Who is the fairest one of all? ME!

Block Island Organics can be found online at both their online store and Amazon. They are offering my readers a 25% coupon when you purchase from their website and use code joymarie. The coupon code is good from December 15th-December 23rd 2015. What a great stocking stuffer for a friend or perhaps yourself!

Namaste~ Joy

 

Baked Apple Chips & 21 day fix approved

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Apple’s are delectable. I will take them anyway I can get them. Sauce, Pie, Cobbler, Crisp, Chips or right off the core! I have made & consumed them in all these ways except Apple Chips. I occasionally buy a bag of dried apple chips, but they always end up disappointing. They are either too sweet, not sweet enough or just a pile of crumbs at the bottom of the bag. And to top it off, they are not cheap. Usually no less than $3 for a small bag. A few weekends ago, thanks to Storm Neptune, I had some time on my hands. I made Apple Chips for the 1st time. And let me tell you, it certainly won’t be the last.

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It’s quite simple really.  Apples, Cinnamon and  Sweetener are the only ingredients you need. Add a baking sheet, some parchment paper, a sharp knife (or mandolin cutter) and you are in business. Preheat your oven to about 200 degrees. The low temp allows you to keep them in the oven longer. They will crisp up nice and slow and ensure that you won’t burn them. Slice your apples as thin as you can. The thinner the apple slice, the faster they will crisp up in your oven.  Lay the apples on a parchment paper (or slip mat) lined cookie sheet. Mix together about 1 tbsp of cinnamon and 1 tbsp of sweetener of your choice. I used stevia. This will cover about 2 apples. Adjust depending on how many apples you use. Sprinkle the mixture on the apples. You can do both sides if you want, but I prefer only doing one side. Place in oven and set timer for 1 hour. Flip after one hour and put back into oven for another hour. After 2 hours are up, I shut the oven off and let them sit in the oven for another 30 minutes or so. I did a workout, took a shower, washed the dishes and checked my email all while these bad boys cooked (crisped) away!

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I love this recipe and will be making it again and again. I can ensure there are no added and unwanted ingredients, especially added sugar. For those who follow the 21day fix plan (which I LOVE), as long as you stick with the recipe above, you can enjoy these for a mere PURPLE container! This 21 day fix recipe for baked apple chips is so easy to make, it will become a staple snack in your house! time I think I will add only cinnamon, as I love the flavor. If you love apples as much as I do, this is a must try. Let me know if you try these!

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Happy Snacking ~ Namaste

Block Island Organics: Block out or Burn

/ mysenkid / 3 Comments

I have fair skin. Very fair skin. No, I am not the fairest of them all, however I would love to be a Disney Princess in my next life! Sun and I are not friends. I get tired, irritable, dehydrated and yes burn in under an hour of sun exposure. I am the girl who wore a one-piece on the Jersey Shore- with SPF 80 along with an umbrella. There I was, sitting next to my gorgeous, bikini-clad friends while they applied their Johnson & Johnson baby oil on. Yup. That was me. That is still me. That brings me to Block Island Organics.

Fair skin for everyone!

Fair skin for everyone!

The Block Island Organics mission

Their mission is to give everyone access to safe, effective, and lovable non-toxic suncare products. They believe in living outside and enjoying the sun and not hiding from it. With a little sun knowledge and the right sunscreen you can live their mantra too: “Play Smart, Play Safe.”  I know how important skin health is. I have had some run-ins with skin cancer scares and I am not taking any chances. However, I refuse to use products filled with chemicals I can’t pronounce or ones that are banned in other countries. I want Non-Toxic and as close to natural as possible. Block Island Organics fills that need.

Winner of a Big Thumbs UP!

Winner of a Big Thumbs UP!

I didn’t just want to post about how much I love this product. I wanted to show you. Really show you. So, I planned a day in my yard gardening. I was out from 10am-8pm, give or take a bit for breaks and lunch. I lathered one side of my body with Block Island Organics SPF 15 and the other side of body with a national brand of the same SPF. Not only did my love for this product grow- I hope it proves to you that sometimes all that money that goes into marketing & fancy containers isn’t the best bet for your health & well-being. Choose Block Island Organics. It is all that I will buy. I even shocked myself with these results.

Can you see the burn?

Can you see the burn?

Nice, tan(ish) skin

Nice, tan(ish) skin

Painful, burnt skin

Painful, burnt skin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy local. Buy Non-toxic. Buy Synthetic ingredient free. Buy Made in the U.S.A. Buy Block Island Organics here. For my readers, you are being treated to  20% off any of their amazing products with code joymarie. They have a baby sunscreen as well as sun relief lotion! I will be picking that up for myself! What are you going to get?