Natural Goodness Giveaway

Hey Y'all!!

In honor of my birthday in August, I am having a Natural Goodness Giveaway. I've been catching the devil because I am giving instead of receiving and that's ok. My parents raised me that it is better to give than receive so let the giving begin! The Cactus & Ivy goodies are valued at $150!



The goodies up for grabs are:

• Pink Grapefruit Moisture Body Lotion
• Orange Vanilla Butter Me Up Body Balm
• Cactus Nail Balm
• Fresh Breeze Loofah
  
• Peppermint Tree Foot Balm
• Hydrating Face Moisturizer
• Key Lime Cactus Body Wash
• Spearcalyptus Body Soap
• Pure & Natural Shea Butter
• Soy Milk Lip Balm
• Lemon Razz Reed Diffuser

To enter, complete the Natural Goodness Giveaway form on the Cactus & Ivy website. Entries will be received from July 31, 2009 to August 31, 2009. A winner will be drawn by Random.org on September 4, 2009.

Thanks for stopping by y'all and I hope you have a fantabulous weekend! Good luck!


Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Wordless Wednesday | Time Flies

Peach Kernel Oil

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you having a fantastic Tuesday! I absolutely love fruit oils and one of my favorites is Peach Kernel Oil. Maybe living in the south has drawn me to this delicious oil or the fact that nothing beats a sweet and juicy peach.


Peach Kernel Oil {Prunus Persica} is beneficial for all skin types, especially dry, sensitive, mature and itchy skin. Used in many high end lotions, facial products and cosmetics, peach kernel oil penetrates the skin easily and contains Vitamins A and E.

The oil is expressed from the pit or kernel of the peach and contains up to 42% essential fatty acids, which aid in restoring the smoothness back to mature, sensitive and inflamed skin. Peach kernel is a highly emollient oil that is non-greasy and light weight. It is also a fabulous alternative to those with nut allergies.

You can find peach kernel oil in The Eyes Have It Oil, which also contains other oils rich in antioxidants, Vitamins A, D, E and F (essential fatty acids), ferullic acid, linolic acid, palmitic acid and oryzanol to hydrate and stimulate your skin, increase elasticity and reduce the formation of lines and wrinkles.

Another benefit of the peach is cobbler. Thanks to an ultimate southern gal by the name of Paula Deen, here is a 'slap your granny good' peach cobbler recipe.

Peach Cobbler
Recipe by Paula Deen

Ingredients:
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Combine the peaches, 1 cup of sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup of sugar, flour, and milk, slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Natter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a place and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

There ya have it. Peaches are great for your skin and good for your appetite. Thanks for stopping by y'all and I hope you have a fantastic day!


Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Beauty Review and Powerful Beauty

Hey Y'all!

I hope this post finds you doing well. Today is a double hitter kind of day and I love it. Oh yeah....Happy Friday!!

KD and the gang at Your Daily Vegan reviewed our Peppermint Tree Foot Balm™, Cactus Nail Balm™ and our Orange Vanilla Butter Me Up Body Balm™. A big ole southern thanks for their awesome reviews and so glad Cactus & Ivy rocked their world! Your Daily Vegan is one of my new favorite sites to visit so stop on by and give it a read!



My fabulous new friend, who also shares my interest for the love of horses, asked me to give her my definition of Powerful Beauty for her site, Bionic Beauty. Jami has reviewed Cactus & Ivy products in the past and I love her down right, bare bones, honest opinion. If you want to achieve powerful beauty, I highly suggest you subscribe to receive beautiful goodness in your inbox each day!

Thanks for stopping by y'all and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!


Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Wordless Wednesday | Love Yourself

Technically, this isn't a Wordless Wednesday because of the words in the sand but I couldn't resist.

Awesome Recipe

Hey Y'all!!

I hope this post finds you doing well. Over the weekend I made a Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad for our volleyball gathering and I must say.....Yummo!!

Southern Living Magazine was a staple in my parents home as a kid and now in mine. The July issue shared the following recipe and I had to pass it along. I was a little apprehensive to make it since I grew up on my Mom's fabulous chicken salad. I wasn't sure if I could make an edible chicken salad. No worries now!

Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad
Makes 6 servings; Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 5 minutes, Cool: 15 minutes

2/3 cup slivered almonds
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 small sweet onion, diced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Greek seasoning
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 15 minutes).

2. Stir together almonds, chicken, dried cranberries, and remaining ingredients; serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 24 hours.

Thanks for stopping by y'all and I hope you have a fabulous day!


Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

Wordless Wednesday | Bear Hug

Container and Closure Changes

Hey Y'all!

I hope you had a fabulous 4th of July weekend. It is Monday again and time to get cracking on another work week.



I have made a few changes to our containers. The Cactus Body Wash is not packaged in a flexible LDPE (low density polyethylene) bottle with a polypropylene (PP) snap cap lid and pressure sensitive liner to provide a tamper evident seal, as well as protect the product contents during shipment.

Our Moisture Body Lotion now has a funky spiral pump that locks into place to prevent accidental discharge. Keep your eyeballs peeled for a few other changes in the coming weeks.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!


Creator Extraordinaire
Cactus & Ivy

It's Independence Day!

Wishing you all a safe and happy 4th of July!

Wordless Wednesday | Cat and Mouse