SPOOKS... Definitely not 9-5
Spooky time is upon us again as the dark nights draw in and the witches gather
round for Halloween. If you’re planning a party, here are a few treats
to inspire your dastardly deeds. Before dressing up as the Black Widow or Red
Hot She Devil with little Devil Baby and Goth Princess in tow, immerse yourself
in Lush’s Ceridwen’s Cauldron bath melt or soften up those hard
corners with a swipe of Black Magic Massage bar. Tougher measures might require
a brush with Buffy the Backside Slayer skin exfoliator. To wash away any trace
of black mood after the spookifications, soap with Lush’s Demon in the
Dark peppermint concoction.
Fantasy costume and lingerie ideas for Halloween, visit: www.theinternetdepartmentstore.com
Lush products: Ceridwen Cauldron bath melt £2.85, Black Magic £3.40,
Buffy the Backside Slayer £3.25, Demon in the Dark soap £2 (100gms).
At Lush shops nationwide or: www.lush.co.uk
POTIONS IN MOTION
The first so-called ‘witches’ were in fact the first European
herbalists. To sample the benefits of their early remedies handed down through
religion and plant power, the Hubble Bubble range of herbal treatments is a
good place for a dabble. Napiers Hangover Hotch Potch Bitters with milk thistle,
peppermint, meadowsweet and dandelion calms upset stomachs and nausea, Rivo
Devil’s Claw extracted from the desert plant Devil’s Claw acts
as a natural anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant, and natural Colief Infant
Drops helps relieve baby of colic. For improved sleep quality and stress relief,
take a dose of the natural sedative Sedonium (contains extract of the herb
valerian).
From Lichtwer Pharma: Colief Infant Drops £9.99, Rivo Devil’s Claw £9.99, Sedonium £5.99 (30 tablets). Milk Thistle £3.60. At Boots, Holland and Barrett and other healthfood stockists.
BRIT BABIES HAVE GREAT TASTE
It’s official. In the UK, sales of organic produce now account for 50
per cent of the entire babyfood market due to growing concern for what we feed
our little ones. Faves with the babes are the Organic
Rice Cakes snack packs
(99p) and First Baby Meals in jars (67p to £1.09) produced by the Baby
Organix company who have created a range of over 50 organic recipes including
gluten-free products. The ethic of the company is to provide tasty food that
is cooked simply and to organic standards (without processing aids, flavourings,
emulsfiers, and with minimal pesticide use). Their website offers recommended
recipes and special dietary information for all stages of baby development.
Visit: www.organix.com
The organic market continues to spread further afield, but the organisers
of Organic Week, 4-12 October are concerned people still don’t really
know about the benefits of going organic. To help educate us, log onto www.organicweek.org and do their quiz that will tell you 10 simple facts about conventionally-grown
food versus organic produce. Scary to discover that one in three apples contains
pesticide residues. The campaign suggests ways to get involved in Organic Week,
like having friends round for an organic meal, visit an organic farm to see
how it works, or find out about your nearest organic box scheme.
The beauty of having fresh organic fruit and veg delivered to your home -
from a company like Abel and Cole who’ve been delivering to London homes
and beyond since 1993 - is that you get a varied weekly selection box depending
on what’s in season. There’s also a choice of additional fish,
dairy and meats. Weekly selections start at £6. Delivery is free and
national. The south London-based company serves 4,000 regular customers and
works with organic British farmers and local schools. Of course, there are
others, Riverford Farm is another large UK box scheme delivering to the south
of England.
Organic Box Schemes: Abel and Cole: tel 020 7737 3648 or at: www.abel-cole.co.uk; Riverford: tel 01803 762720 or at: www.riverford.co.uk
AND FOR THE GROWN UPS
Other organic goodies to try: Green & Black’s deelicious chocolate £1.49
and ice creams £3.79, Spiezia Organic Comfrey hand cream £9.50,
Ecover’s cleaning liquids and washing powders from £2 (as near
enough organic as you can get and most in the range don’t contain the
common irritant sodium lauryl sulphate), and Go Organic Thai and Indian curry
sauces £2.29.
From most healthfood stockists and some supermarkets except for Spiezia Organic beauty products only from 01326 231600 or: www.spieziaorganics.com
