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Have your heard the saying, “A dog’s life’?  Originally it meant that life was darn hard.  Sleeping rough, guarding property and chasing rats.  Now days, many dogs live pretty sweet lives.  We notice so many cute dogs on our travels that we decided to ask a few to share their beauty tips.

Tip #1  Drink Plenty of Water

How much water a dog needs depends on size, activity level and of course the weather.  Humans are around 60% water and we lose water throughout the day.  It’s recommended you sip up to ½ a gallon a day.  Try infusing your water with fresh fruits and herbs to add a bit of beauty and hopefully you'll be drinking your daily requirement.  

Tip #2     Get Plenty of Sleep

Dogs need about 12-14 hours of sleep and have the ability to sleep just about anywhere- the couch, the bed, the back seat of the car.  Humans need around 8 and we often struggle with getting enough sleep.  A bedtime routine can really help.  Our soothing “Bring on the ZZZZ’s balm can be part of your nightly routine.  Simply rub on temples and under your nose to help you take those important deep breaths.  Herbal tea and no TV are two other tips to help you get your ZZZZ’s.

Tip #3   Don’t Forget to Floss

Dogs chew a lot and this chewing is good for their teeth.  Flossing helps our gums, gets rid of stuck bits of food and helps keep our breath nice and sweet.  

Tip #4   Size Doesn’t Matter

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes and so do we.  Dogs don’t worry too much about their size but we sure do.  Embrace your size and find some clothes that feel good and make you look good.  For me, skinny jeans just make me feel awkward and I feel and therefore look better in boot cut jeans.  I stick with what makes me feel good.

Tip #5  Treat Yourself to a Natural Facial 

Dogs love to dig and get dirty.  Sometimes we need to do the same and a facial is one way to go.  It’s an easy way to make your skin look fresh and lovely.  Remember you want natural ingredients not a bunch of chemicals.

Tip #6  Spas are an Occasional Treat

All our dogs hate baths but love, love, love a good soak.  You deserve an occasional soak yourself.  The benefits of a relaxing bath along with a glass of wine and a good book are many.  If you don’t have a tub or the time, treat yourself to our Shower Shots- made in jello shot molds they’re a “Happy Hour for Your Shower”.

Tip #7 Dress Up Occasionally

There are a lot of fun accessories for dogs and occasionally dress up and heading out is the perfect antidote to having too much to do.    

Tip #8  Moderation

At markets we meet so many people who are interested in our Maine seaweed rich products.  Especially if they have a skin condition- itchy scalp, adult breakouts, super dry skin or red patches.  But they want a bit of time to go to our website and read about seaweeds and in particular how shampoo bars work.   They ask if we’ll be back next week.  Well, we won’t.  Instead of being a regular vendor we guest vend at a bunch of really great markets.  This gives us a chance to introduce Dulse & Rugosa seaweed rich skincare to lots of people and it’s fun to be part of some many markets.

Here is our schedule-

Aug 12/13/14- Maine Boats Home and Harbor show right in downtown Rockland.  This is our first year with this show and we love the fact that it is right in beautiful downtown Rockland.  Here’s what happening-” Each year we gather Maine's finest artists, architects, boatbuilders, craftsmen, designers, furniture makers, jewelers, and marine gear vendors together in ONE place at ONE time! Meet them in person at the 14th Annual Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show.”

Aug 13- Blue Hill Farmer’s Market, Carly was born in the town of Blue Hill so we have a special fondess for this market.  Last time she was next to Smith Family Farms- Mount Desert’s Island Dairy and she raved about their cheeses.  If you don’t want to take Carly’s word for it- how about Martha.  Here is a link to Martha Stewart’s visit http://www.marthastewart.com/254114/smith-family-farm.

Aug 14- Newburyport Farmer’s Market.  This is a bit of a hike for us but we love this quaint town and the support and interest in our skincare.  It’s at the Tannery Marketplace from 9-1.  The market’s mission is to “ support our local farmers, fishermen, chefs and creative community through hosting the weekly market and creating compelling events that educate, inspire and delight our community.” What a thoughtful and generous mission.

Aug 18- Portland Food Coop.  We’ll be at the Coop to talk about how amazing our Seaweed Shampoo Bars are.  I started my seaweed journey because I was looking for a natural solution to a chronically itchy scalp.  I discovered that seaweed is a superfood for your skin.  An added benefit of shampoo bars is no plastic bottle to clutter our world.  I can’t wait to meet coop members.

Aug 20 York Gateway Farmer’s Market.  This is a fabulous market filled with produce, flowers, yummy foods and unusual crafts.  An added plus, York is a BYOB town.  That means Bring Your Own Bag because single use plastic bags have been banned.  Yeah York!

Aug 21- Kittery Community Market.  This is our 2nd year at the Kittery Market and we love it.  It's friendly, well run and always has great music.  Last time I was there it was a rainy Sunday and the music by Elijah Clark really fit the mood.  And they have prizes- a kayak donated by Portsmouth Kayak Adventures.  Everyone gets one free entry a week just for showing up!

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Lavender is such a versatile plant, it’s a lovely perennial in your garden, has healing properties and you can cook with it.  Lavender, what’s not to love?

Let’s start with the garden.  Lavender is fairly easy to grow.  Personally, I love any plant that doesn’t mind getting a bit dry.  It relieves some of my garden guilt.  I’m most familiar with the English Lavenders especially a variety known as Munstead because it is quite hardy here in coastal Maine.   If you want to plant some Lavender I do not recommend starting plants by seeds as it is very challenging.  It’s easier to buy plants and when you plant in the spring you ensure  a long growing period to get established.  I recommended buying plants from a local nursery or even better a farmer.  That way you know you have a good quality plant that has not be dosed with tons of chemicals.  The one tip that I always follow here in Maine with our unpredictable winters is to cover the plants with evergreen boughs in late fall.   

It’s so easy to harvest Lavender.  Once the flower stems become deep purple start cutting.  Lavender is lovely fresh but it’s such a great dried flower I rarely use in summer flower arrangements.  Instead dry your Lavender buds and tuck them inside your drawers and with your sheets and towels.     To harvest small bouquets of Lavender I use a rubber band around the stem and hang upside down.  How long to dry really depends on where you live, humidity and where you decide to dry the bunches.  In general, try a cool, dark location is best.  

You can also cook with Lavender.  I love to put a few fresh cut springs in my herbal tea mix.  Later in the winter, I like to add a dried sprig to my teapot.  In my opinion, Lavender and chocolate pair really well together.  Lavender also looks really pretty floating in any summer drinks including lemonade.  A Lavender simple syrup is a wonderful way to add a bright dash of lavender to drinks.

Lavender Simple Syrup

1 cup water

3 tablespoons Lavender buds- fresh or dried, it’s best if they are picked right before full bloom

2 cups sugar

I always feel like cheating on the sugar and honestly often end up with bitter concoctions so I recommended following the proportions first before altering.

Maine blueberries are extraordinary and these great qualities provide us with some valuable life advice.  

Embrace Diversity- Maine blueberries are genetically diverse, a mix of colors from a medium blue to a purple almost black.  This mix makes for a rich, sweet vibrant flavor.  We need diversity in our lives.  Diversity is easy to find by mixing it up, changing some habits, taking a class, smiling at strangers, traveling or trying a new food.  If you want to try a healthy new drink check out this blog about making Kombucha.  You could even make a blueberry Kombucha.  

Bigger is not Always Better- Maine blueberries are not big but they are mighty.  Maine blueberries can have up to 2X the nutritional benefits of cultivated berries and yet they are tiny.  So, no matter your size, shape or height- embrace and love yourself.  Learn more about finding your best self at La Dolce Vita Lifestyle.

We’re Better in Bunches- It takes a lot of Maine blueberries to make a pie.  That’s OK because we are better in bunches.  We need each other to reach our goals.  Here’s a great blog about empowerment.

Be a Bit Wild-  Maine blueberries are wild, they are not cultivated.  They are cared for and tended but remain wild.  Being wild is OK for us humans too.  Of course with everything moderation is the key but kick back with a Maine inspired cocktail.

After the Wild Comes the Sweet- Maine blueberries have an intense sweet flavor.  They are perfect for pancakes, muffins, coffee cakes and pies.  Here are recipes for cooking just about anything with sweet Maine blueberries.

Made in Maine- Maine blueberries are America’s finest.  And Maine Made, products made right here in Maine are America’s best  You’ll find a wide variety of high quality crafts at the Maine Made site.

I hope you're inspired to live life to the fullest and to eat more blueberries.