Treat Yourself

     Like most women, I like to try new things and I love lotions, potions and creams. It has been two years since I first told you all about Mindful Minerals products. You can read the details here. Over the past two years, some of the products have evolved into different packaging and new items have been added, but one thing has not changed...I am hooked. I am still using the products daily, I never let myself run out of anything and on the rare occasion that I am traveling and don't take the time to do a mud mask or use the scrub, it is the first thing I do when I get home. I have had no desire to try something new or think I can find something I like better. This never happens to me! 

     I want to make it clear that I still don't sell the products, I just buy them. Lots of them! I do love to visit when I am in Florida and this was my first visit to this location. They do most of their business online these days, but they still have a retail showroom and it was so much larger than the old location. There is a room that is full of products (yes, that is my pile of things on the table). 

You can read a little about the idea behind the products.

The night before we were there, there had 

been an event with wine, food and 

product experiences in the large modern room.

     We love to visit with Murad, the owner. He has lived in such interesting places and his life seems very exotic compared to our Midwestern lives. He and his wife Melissa are both very knowledgeable about the product and passionate about what they do. We didn't realize until this visit just how large this operation actually is. They supply many high-end spas, have a large factory onsite and we were able to see cases and cases of product ready for shipping. What I love is that they treat each customer as if they are special and help walk them through the right combination of products. 

The current location, the factory is 

the white building in the background. 

     If you want to try some really healthy, high end but affordable products that last a long time, I really do recommend Mindful Minerals. I have yet to find one product that I don't love. You can check out their website, here. They have great sales on the website and Facebook if you just watch for them. 

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. Mindful Minerals did not request that I write it. 

My Favorite Skin Care Line Gets Even Better

     You may remember when I wrote a post about Mindful Minerals right after I discovered the products. You can read that post here. Let me start out this post the way I did the last one by making it clear that I don't work for them, I don't sell the products, I don't get paid or compensated in any way for telling you about this stuff. I just really love it and I like sharing information when I find something I love. All the women in my life got gifts of this for their birthdays or Christmas this year and they all love it. I have been using the products for quite a while now and they work. Enough said. 

 

     I hadn't been in the store in Orlando for a while. I stocked up quite a bit the last time I had been there and then I also placed an online order, but I was out of a few items and I also couldn't wait to talk to Melissa and see the new line. Most of the original products are still available (you can read about them on the linked post above) but there are a few new items as well as some updates to the originals. I thought I'd tell you about the new products I bought and what I think of them. 

 

     Mindful Minerals is a product line that offers 100% pure natural products at affordable prices. It helps with acne, psoriasis, eczema, arthritis and aging skin by using the minerals found in the Dead Sea. The products are free of preservatives and additives and maintain purity while naturally preserving the product. The products contain 21 minerals found in the Dead Sea, 12 of which are found in no other ocean or sea–unlike users of competitive products who are sometimes exposing themselves to harmful phthalates, parabens, preservatives and artificial fragrance.

 

     In plain English, this stuff works! The new cleanser, “Get Even” Dead Sea Exfoliating Cleanser, I love. It makes my skin feel so clean and smooth and the light natural scent is great. American Spa Magazine just named "Get Even" Exfoliating Cleanser as their 2013 Best Pick for hyper-pigmentation and acne. Melissa describes this product as a micro-scrub with willow bark, lactic acid and sugar cane, “Get Even” stimulates cell turnover, decongests pores and helps to even out the complexion, while protecting the skin with natural humectants and fatty acids that sooth and heal. Rich with Dead Sea minerals, “Get Even” is naturally anti-microbial and anti-bacterial and may show benefit to sufferers of acne, while the cranberry fruit extract helps fight free-radical damage. This is easier to use that the dead sea salt product that we mixed with water as it comes ready to use in a tube.  

 

     The new mask, Triple Fusion Masque, is to use in place of the plain mud that we previously mixed with water. I did notice that the dry mud is still available at the store. I loved the old mud, so I wasn't sure how I would feel with using the new one. I also have several jars of the dry mud that I will continue to use. I do love this product. Again, it is easier to use and less messy for one thing. The first time I used it, it was thinner than I was used to mixing my mud mask, but I adapted quickly to that. This product (and the original mud mask) is amazing. It literally changes the color of your skin after one use because it pulls all the dead skin and impurities from your face and body. You are left with skin as soft as a baby's. This new product is described as follows: Dead Sea Mud, French Riviera Green Clay & Volcanic Ash. A fusion of our mineral rich muds from the Dead Sea, volcanic ash and Green Clay mined from the French Mediterranean rock quarries, this completely natural, organic material has over 35 minerals and trace elements to deep clean and detoxify the skin. The micro-molecules of this clay combination have powerful absorbing qualities literally “drinking” toxins, oils and impurities from your skin. The toning action stimulates circulation bringing fresh blood to damaged skin cells, revitalizing the complexion and tightening pores. I will add that it smells pretty much like mud would be expected to smell!

 

     They brought out a toner, Get Clear, 21 Mineral Cranberry Toner. I hadn't used a toner in years, but I find that it is a very simple way to clean my face quickly when I'm feeling a bit lazy. I don't have acne, but it is supposed to be a wonderful product for those who do. Melissa offered the suggestion that I used gauze instead of a cotton ball because it will also help smooth out the skin. (I confess, I haven't remembered to pick up gauze and I'm still using a cotton ball). This product is described as: treatment toner and an in-a-pinch cleanser addresses two concerns: acne and hyper-pigmentation. This clever formula has the perfect blend of minerals and botanicals to help rid yourself of acne and even out your complexion. Dead Sea minerals calm and reduce irritation.

 

     I love the new moisturizer, Get Carded Anti-Aging Moisturizer. What is wonderful is that it can be used day and night, so you don't have to have 2 separate products. It is light, has a very slight natural scent that is pleasant and feels good on my face. The actual description: Skip the Botox but don’t forget your I.D. Pioneering the future of anti-aging treatments, a propriety formula of Dead Sea Minerals and the innovative MATRIXYL® synthe’6™ Tri-Peptide stimulates the synthesis of 6 major structural component molecules of the skin visibly smoothing facial wrinkles.

 

     I was also able to bring home their newest product. At the time, they had just gotten it in and my bottle doesn't even have a label on it. Melissa told me how to use it and I didn't know what it was going to be called until it appeared on the website. On the day we were in the store, Melissa said it was all she had on her face, no makeup base and her skin looked great. She had cystic acne before using her products and you would never know it now. It is a creamy product that goes on over your moisturizer and under make-up if you decide you still need make-up. It isn't quite white and you apply it and rub it in and it leaves a smooth layer on your skin. It isn't sticky and you don't know you have it on. BB CC Cream is described as a 10 in 1 cream. Clearly Beautiful releases wrinkles, hydrates skin, primes, conceals, reduces hyper-pigmentation, inhibits acne, balances, mineralizes and nourishes the skin, while preventing further damage with 100% natural sun block!  

 

     I also bought some natural soaps and the most delicious Body Butter with a Bergamot and Grapefruit scent that smells so good I want to pour it over ice and drink it! 

 

     I guess you can tell that I'm like a kid in a candy store when I visit Melissa at her Orlando location. Mindful Mineral products are used and sold in upscale spas (at much higher prices). I love that I can get the same products and take advantage of some of Melissa's special offers. Check out the webpage or their facebook page. If you have any questions, call them and speak to Melissa. Feel free to tell her you read about them on I Need Mom! 

A Little Mud, A Little Salt...You Have to Try This!

     I want to start this post by telling you that I'm not being paid in any way for writing about these products. In fact, they didn't even know I had a blog until I made my second trip into the store and asked if I could take a few pictures to share with all of you.

     It isn't often that I find a place and products that completely blow me away. A few days before Christmas, that is exactly what happened. After a huge pre-holiday meal (a future post) we decided to take a stroll around the shops at Pointe Orlando, where the restaurant was located. As we walked by a new shop, Mindful Minerals, what first caught our eye was the colorful soap sitting just inside the door. We stepped inside and you have never seen 3 females turn into such "girly girls" so quickly. We were immediately greeted by Melissa Sweiss, who is friendly, fun and extremely knowledgeable about her products. She put a bit of the mud mask on my hand and let it dry. It not only changed the texture of my hand, it changed the skin tone. My hand looked younger with one use.

    The facts: Mindful Minerals products are 100% pure raw minerals harvested from Jordan’s Dead Sea. They contain no preservatives and additives found in all other Dead Sea Products currently available in the market. They offer products free of preservatives and additives with its unique process of maintaining purity while naturally preserving the product. This allows Mindful Mineral customers to experience the amazing benefits of the 21 minerals found in the Dead Sea, 12 of which are found in no other ocean or sea.

     Now, for my take on the products and the store in general. I love this place! I bought several products for all of us on our first visit and took them back to the hotel and we tried them. I went back before I left town to stock up because I already knew that I didn't want to run out of anything! My daughter has been back in the store twice this week. Best of all, not only does my skin feel better...my husband actually commented on my face on two different days this week! Of course, it went something like this-

"Your face looks better, less bumpy"

"My face was bumpy?"

"No, you know...smoother"

     A couple of days later, he said, "your face really does look better". I see this as sort of a back-a**ed compliment, but considering he never says anything about my skin...I'll take it! I really can see a difference and the products are fun to use and amazingly affordable. Melissa told me that their products are sold in the Ritz Carlton Spa for so much more than they are selling them in their shop. Honestly, these are high-end products at such affordable prices we were shocked.

     So, what products am I using and do I suggest you try?

The Dead Sea Mud-it comes dry and you add a little water and use it on your face and/or body. The dermatologist at the store told me to use it once a week.

The Dead Sea Scrub-I am using this twice a week on my face. Again, as suggested by their dermatologist. I was a little nervous about this at first because my skin can be very sensitive. It does sting a bit (it is supposed to) but I was told it would "get rid of all the dead skin on my face"! It actually is doing that! You can use this all over your body as well, I haven't had a chance to do that yet.

Just Get Smooth Exfoliating Bar-I'm using this about twice a week in the shower on my legs and arms.

Just Get Dirty Mud Purifying Bar-I'm using it on my face every day and on my body 5 days a week.

Dead Sea Salt Bath Soak-I've used this only once, and I liked it. I just have a hard time taking the time to soak in the bath tub. I need to do it more often as it helps with sore joints and muscles.

The Dead Sea Skin Care Creams-Cleanser, Day Cream and Night Cream-I swear these combined with the salt scrub are doing good things for my face. I use the cleanser at night only. The price of these was so reasonable that I couldn't have bought them at Walgreens for that price.

The Citrus Soap with loofah-this is just fun and it smells good and feels good. It has loofah sponge inside the soap!

     I never buy skin products in large amounts, but as you can see...I bought a ton of Mindful Minerals and I bought 3 jars/bars of almost everything just for me, plus what I bought for my daughter and her girlfriend. My dad even bought a bar of the Just Get Smooth soap for his dry skin. What is wonderful is that it works if you are 27 (my daughter) or 57 (me) or 85 (my dad). It works for men or women.

     I think you can tell that I love this stuff. I love the fact that Melissa and her husband lived where these products come from for 3 years. I love that they have a dermatologist that tells you (even if you don't want to hear it) exactly what you need to do to look better. I loved that their young children were in the shop and that they were so new that they had just gotten their cash register the day we were there. I also love how she really works with you on what items are best for you and didn't push a single product. I also love it that I have a single jar of night cream in my bathroom that cost more than all of these products I bought added together. It is affordable and it works!

     I am linking the website and their Facebook page so you can see more of the products and order some if you like. There are also discounts offered on the Facebook page. If it were me, I would call the number and talk to Melissa. They had some great specials before Christmas and my daughter says they have a Valentine Special now. You can save even more money if you happen to grab a special offer, plus she can tell you what you need most for your skin type and how to use it. I actually can't wait to see what products they come out with next and I will try them without hesitation.

     If you call Mindful Minerals, please tell them you read it about them on Suzy's blog. I'd love for them to know that I sent my friends their way. You won't be sorry, I promise!

Mindful Minerals Website

Mindful Minerals Facebook Page

Date Night...Boomer Style

     If you are anywhere near my age and you love music as much as I do...I have something to tell you about. This isn't a review, no one gave me anything free or asked me to blog about it. This post is written straight from the soul of an aging baby boomer who was transported all the way back to her earliest musical memories and traveled through a lifetime of music, without ever leaving home Friday night.

     For Christmas this year, one of the gifts I bought my husband was The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts DVD. This 2-night concert was filmed in Madison Square Garden at the end of 2009 and filmed for HBO. We don't have HBO, so when I found that it had become available on DVD I ordered it from Amazon. We finally had a chance Friday night to watch it and I think when I tell you that we started watching before 7:00 p.m. and it was 11:00 p.m. before we knew it, you will get the idea of just how great it was! Some of you will understand when I say that my husband sat in his comfy chair, in the dark and stayed wide awake for 4 hours...this is a big deal!

     The snippets on television after the live concert took place, showed duets and unexpected combinations of singers. I had no idea just how much fun that would be to watch. Crosby, Stills & Nash singing backup for Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Paul Simon; Aretha Franklin with Annie Lennox; Metallica with Ray Davies from the Kinks; Stevie Wonder and Sting, U2 with Mick Jagger & Fergie; Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. Hour after hour of the best of the best.

     When I'm asked what my first "favorite song" was, I always go back to the first time I heard a song on the radio that stopped me in my tracks and touched my heart. The year was 1966 and Sounds of Silence was the number #1 song on New Year's Day that year. I was 11-years-old. When the two singers of that song stepped out on the stage together and began to sing...I had no doubt as to why that song has stayed with me all these years. Their voices are still so perfect together that I got chills. I was able to find a couple of clips of from the concert of what was the highlight for me.

Sounds of Silence-Simon & Garfunkel

Bridge Over Troubled Water-Simon & Garfunkel

Crosby, Stills and Nash

John Foggerty and Bruce Springsteen

Bono and Mick

My husband's favorites were 

Jackson Browne sing with Crosby, Stills and Nash and

John Foggerty with Bruce Springsteen

If I could buy each of my middle-aged friends a gift...this would be it!

Not only was it fun to watch the first time, it makes great background music to

keep you wanting to move around the house!

$28.99 at Amazon and

Worth it!

Worth It! The Perfect Cup

     I realized it had been a while since I'd done a "Worth It" post. We all have those things we love that we would replace immediately if something happened to them. Today I will share another one of my "must haves" with you. Several years ago I discovered a store in mall somewhere called Teavana. They are the Starbucks of tea. They sold it in leaf form, they had beautiful pots and you could order a freshly made perfect cup of tea to take with you. Don't get me wrong, I love my coffee...but, I also love a perfect cup of tea. As I watched them make the tea, I noticed how they were making several cups at a time using an interesting gadget for each cup. Needless to say, I went home with the Teavana Perfect Tea Maker ($17.99).  

This is actually my second one. I use it every day, so I eventually wore the first one out.

     I love Oolong tea. Teavana has great teas, but I usually buy mine at a funky little shop in Nashville. Davis Cookware and Cutlery Shop is an old, family run business and they know their tea. The prices are good and they just bag it up for you. The first time I purchased it there and went home with my two Ziploc bags full...I felt as if I might get arrested for carrying around pot. It really is tea and it is delicious. They don't have a website, but they will ship if you call them (615-298-4728). I only hope they were not damaged by the recent floods. 

You simply use a heaping teaspoon of tea leaves per cup.

     I use very hot water (just below the boiling point) from our dispenser. It is another one of my "must haves" as the water where we live just doesn't taste very good!

This is the tea when the water is first put in the cup.

This is the tea after 3 minutes...the perfect cup!

You simply sit the Teavana cup onto a large mug and

the tea drains into the cup, the leaves stay behind.

This is what is left, and you can make a second cup of tea using the same leaves.

Care to join me for that perfect cup of tea?

I am linking with Lady Katherine @ Lady Katherine Tea Parlor

for Tea Time Tuesday. Please stop by to visit her!

Finding New "Must Haves" From Other Bloggers

     Don't stop reading! Isn't that just the worst name for something that tastes good? A few weeks ago, I was reading a blog post from one of my favorite bloggers, Torie Jayne. Torie is from London and is a designer. Her blog is beautiful and she shares everything from furniture to craft projects, all in amazing color palettes.

Torie posted a recipe for this gorgeous butterfly cheesecake and the crust used Digestive Biscuits. Well, I immediately asked her what she meant...and I was intrigued enough by her response to dig a bit deeper.

A digestive biscuit, sometimes referred to as a sweetmeal biscuit, is a semi-sweet biscuit popular in the United Kingdom and in other Commonwealth countries, as well as in Ireland and in Greece. The term 'digestive' is derived from the belief that they had antacid properties due to the use of sodium bicarbonate when they were first developed. (from Wiki)

     Years ago, I was able to buy a Tea Biscuit from Carr's, that is no longer available. I loved them and this sounded somewhat similar...so, I started my search. I discovered that there are several sources in the States for British products. I also learned that McVitie's Digestives are the original and I decided I would try those. I checked various websites and found that my best deal was ordering them from Amazon where I bought 7 packages for $28 and got free shipping. I did put a link to them on my sidebar. I see they have lowered the price since I bought mine last week!

     They are a little bit like a graham cracker, only more fragile. They crumble so easily, but even the crumbs would be good for crusts, or sprinkled on puddings etc. They are slightly sweet and perfect for a treat with tea or coffee. They would even be good for an easy breakfast. The nutrition label is different than I'm used to, but I think it says that they have 70 calories, 3.1g of fat and .5g of fiber per biscuit.

     Thanks to Torie, I have a new treat on my "Worth it" list of favorites. Have you found anything wonderful through another blogger? If so, why don't you share it with us in the comments!

I'll share a few more beautiful photos from Torie Jayne.

Don't you love her color palette for Halloween?

Torie's sweet colors for Christmas.