Maya's Page of Awesomeness

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 Recently I've been using the Good For You Girls Three Step Starter Kit. Good For You Girls is a natural skin care brand for girls. Their products are made with the finest ingredients and are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, mineral oils, and synthetic fragrances and dyes that can be harmful to your body. My experience in using their products has been awesome! Everything in the kit is wonderful. :) I love the blemish wash and the purifying toner. The moisturizer is also very hydrating! The best part is I know that the products are actually healthy and nourishing for my skin.


What made you want to start Good For You Girls and when did you start it?
 
Prior to Good For You Girls I owned an advertising agency and specialized in nutrition and beauty. I was a huge lover of natural products. As my girls were getting older I realized that there were no products I felt were safe, effective or age appropriate for my girls. I started the company in 2007 and launched the first product in 2008.  

Why is it important to use natural and healthy ingredients in your products?
Simply, natural products are inherently better for our bodies. Just like eating fruits and vegetables your body has the ability to break them down and process them. Chemicals create havoc and are foreign to the body. The ingredients in our products are specifically chosen for their benefits. We choose ingredients that are clean, help get rid of bacteria, sooth and calm the skin to prevent redness or irritation. While our products are for a younger market our formulas are rather sophisticated. 
 
What are your favorite ingredients to use?
Wow, I love so many of the ingredients but love the pineapple, papaya and pumpkin seed extracts in our Blemish Wash. It’s a great trio of fruit based acids that help exfoliate without causing irritation. 
 
Anything awesome you'd like to share?

This is a tough job with long hours and a great deal of stress but no matter how tough my days are when I talk to a mom who is so grateful for our products it is still the most amazing feeling.

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Garnish & Gather has combined the art of cooking with gourmet meal kits. I loved the way everything was presented and the recipes were easy to follow. Me and my family thoroughly enjoyed the meal. We will definitely be signing up for more meals in the next coming months. Here is my interview with Emily, founder of Garnish & Gather:

What made you want to start Garnish & Gather and when did you start it?

Like many folks out there, I love to cook and sit down to a delicious dinner just about any night of the week. My husband and I participated in a CSA (community supported agriculture program) where we would receive a box of veggies each week from a local farm. We absolutely loved eating seasonal farm fresh veggies each week, but as work schedules picked up and life got busy, finding the time on an average Tuesday evening to plan recipes, get to the store for the other ingredients, and finally cook dinner became daunting. I kept thinking there must be an easier way, and Garnish & Gather began to take shape. What if we put together all the raw ingredients, with simple recipes so folks don't have to worry about where their food is coming from or what to make for dinner. Plus folks can learn fun cooking techniques at the same time and support our local food system. I decided to run with the idea last winter, and with a few months of planning and prep, Garnish & Gather opened for business in June!

A portion of all Garnish & Gather proceeds are given back to the community, what inspired you to give back?

I am a big believer that giving back to our community strengthens everyone around us, including ourselves. By giving back and supporting Open Hand, we are not only supporting our neighbors in need, but providing healthy and nutritious meals that make our community healthier and stronger. We believe nutritious food is a right, not a privilege, and that’s why we are dedicated to supporting our community to help make this belief a reality. 

How do you choose which dishes are put together?

We work closely with our farmers and our chefs to ensure that our meals are designed around what is growing and being harvested right now! Outside of our farmer's guidance, we like to let our chefs do what the do best – create. Its so exciting to see the unique recipes our Chefs come up with, as they're always fun and delicious.

Why do you think it's so important to promote local and sustainable farming and ingredients?

I love this question because there are so many great answers to it. At its very simplest, I love local foods because I love feeling connected to where my food is grown, who is growing it and the story behind it. There is something special about washing dirt off of a stalk of celery or trimming the bush tops off of Dave's freshly harvested carrots that were just picked yesterday. Of course the benefits of eating locally go far beyond the connection with our food. By eating local foods we are supporting local businesses and our local economy. We become more connected with our community and engage socially with our food sources like farmers and butchers. Local & sustainable agriculture has huge environmental impacts from reducing the carbon footprint created by transportation of our food across the country, to natural farming techniques that don't use environmentally harmful chemicals.  In addition we are putting natural foods into our bodies that haven't been processed with added sugars and sodium or additives and are chemical and antibiotic free. And then of course, it just tastes great and encourages a well rounded diet based on whole and natural foods that are flavorful and healthy. 

Anything awesome you'd like to share?

Yes! Garnish & Gather was created with the belief that cooking can be simple, and that mealtime is for sharing. Garnish your meal and gather together. Lets do more than just eat, and more than just cook, lets share. Lets come back to the dinner table

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My Book Review

DARE: Accepting The Challenge of Trusting Leadership - By Scott Weiss

I came across this book by chance, and after reading it, I just had to post a review. Being a young entrepreneur and The CEO of my own company, this book resonated with me because it is a refreshing insight on what should be cornerstones of what every business owner needs to run a successful company: honesty and transparency. I have been raised by my parents to always tell the truth no matter what the outcome, to give an honest answer to those who ask and to always be open and upfront with people. It was only natural that I would apply these same principles to my business.  It has worked for me tremendously because I have never known any other way to conduct myself. The reason this book is awesome is because offers  a much needed better way to run your business and be an effective leader by simply being truthful with your customers, your employees, and overall interaction with society. Adults tend to stray away from the things they were taught when they were younger, with this book, Mr. Weiss offers common sense teachings and bold strategies which may be a revelation to some, and challenges others to be the best leaders they can be.   
To purchase the book, click HERE

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Other awesome websites, organizations, and companies I support, and you should too!

Urban Market is an innovative sustainable fashion platform. They offer an awesome selection of well known eco fashion brands, hand picked sustainably produced fashion, gadgets, and well being products from all over the world. 

Fine Threadz – Bow Scarf Dress

All of the products featured on Urban Market were carefully hand-picked according to their eco credentials. Therefore, every product meets at least one of the following criteria and is either organic, natural, fair trade, recycled, upcycled, environmentally friendly material/production process, has tightly monitored supply chains, supporting local business, or handcrafted.

Conscious Skincare – Soothing Handcream for Hardworking Hands

iZen Bamboo – Bluetooth Keyboard

Their boutique provides ethical customers with quirky and innovative pieces such as jewelry pieces made using post-consumer recycled pop tabs from soda/beer cans, Bamboo keyboards, calculator and speakers made from real bamboo, bags and accessories made from up cycled inner lorry tubes and bike tires or raincoats made from vegetable plastic obtained from potato starch! Urban Market was created to offer a platform for “good” goods. It is the place where trends are set for the responsible consumer, sustainably. Urban Market offers a great selection of sustainably produced fashion items and gadgets from all over the world, proving that profit can have purpose.

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"Enjoy heat anywhere with the Click of a coin. Click It Hot packs are reusable hot/cold
packs. They heat to a comfortable 130 degrees and depending on size last one half
hour to two hours warming hands, soothing aching joints and back pain, as well as
giving relief to shoulder and neck stress. Users include hunters, athletes, marching
band members, the elderly for warmth and arthritis aches, expecting moms,
medical professionals, physical therapists, trainers, and the list goes on. Oh
yea each pack can also be used cold or frozen. Order yours today and Click
your way to comfort."

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"Local Daisy is about raising awareness, strengthening our local food system, and reinvesting in our communities. When it comes to local food, we are passionate about quality, honesty and fairness. We carry the torch for the creative small business owner, family farmers, independent food artisans and restaurant owners committed to offering good food. Organic produce, grass-fed meat, hormone-free dairy, free-range eggs, and fair-trade chocolate are just samples of the goodness you'll find through Local Daisy. We hope this site will also help to foster new relationships, fortify the good food movement, create economic opportunities…and help us eat some of the best tasting food around!"

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"A new Facebook adventure that raises awareness & funds to empower women & girls across the world. Available in English and French for desktop/laptop computers only."