Take Us To Lunch : Living Pura Vida in San José with Cueropapel&tijera

We are continuing our adventures in Costa Rica with Sofia Protti founder and designer at cueropapel&tijera who is taking us on a tour of her regular lunch spot in San José. This place happens to be El Mercado Central where you can find little sodas (eateries) and all kinds of colorful wares. A place you can really soak in some atmosphere, let's go?!!

• • •

I went to El Mercado yesterday! It was nice to visit this time having in mind what things would be interesting to see and to know for other people. I enjoy food so much that El Mercado is like a party to me. Herbs, seafood, vegetables, lots of fruits, the smell of plantain leaves that are so usual at this time of the year to cook "tamales" our traditional Christmas meal... uh! It is wonderful!

I never get bored here, as there is always something new! A different kind of "chili" or a new fruit, or simply a little spot that has been there for years, that you haven't noticed before. As usual, what I did yesterday was to have Fresco de frutas, a frozen fruit juice made of chopped fruits (banana and papaya mostly) and syrup. This is so classic, and delicious. So after the walk you have to do to get to El Mercado, where you need to start your journey is Fresco de Frutas.

• • •

After that, I wander around the market to see the handicrafts. You can find the traditonal market bags made out of "cabuya" (a natural fiber produced here), small leather bags, post cards, baskets, and "hamacas." The coffee shops are all over too.

My favorite picks are the "cabuya" bags because of their colors, the thread, and their long lasting quality. Every housewife in Costa Rica should have one, as all our grandmas did. It is so meaningful to me. Not only for the colors and shape, but for the memories I have going to the market with my grandma. Her bag was aged and had so much personality that I found it unique and special and also because of all the good stuff we put in it. 

Leather handicrafts are also my favorites. I get so much inspiration here as I am always trying to reinterpret the traditional styles into my own modern version of it. 

• • •

Then I finally go back to Soda San Martin. The place where I get my fresco de frutas and my soup. This place was stablished in 1953, and it is well known for the typical local food. Their specialty is the Olla de Carne, a meat soup with a lot of vegetables, but today I was craving the Seafood soup!

Tell us a bit about your country and your work...

What I love the most about my home place is our style. We are easy going, friendly, full of opportunities, education, and progressing forward is a chance that everyone has. 

One thing I would like to see improved is our ambition (in a good sense). Costa Rica is such a good place to live that we easily get into a "comfort zone" that makes us lose our competitiveness. We lack ambition and a sense of empowerment, which I admire in other countries. I studied Industrial Design at the University, but leather has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. My grandpa who was a leather craftsman supported our family by creating leather bookbinding and other crafts.  I loved being at his workshop playing or "working" with little pieces of leather during my free time. I decided to switch from my design career to my grandpa's passion. 

When he got sick, I realized that the only thing I could do to keep him "alive" was to do what he loved.

I did not start the business thinking it was going to be my grandpa´s business forever, and by the time I felt strong and clear about what I wanted to do, I decided to take the best of his work and make my own version of it. So that´s how I founded CueroPapel&Tijera* in 2008. (*leather paper & scissors) 

Costa Rica's essence is easy to infuse into my products. For inspiration, I visit local spots for coffee, talk to people, and I take lots of pictures of every flower I find, the sky, greens in the views, rain, and everything that resembles our country. So I AM Costa Rica and translating this feeling to my designs is something I do through texture, color, and simplicity. A very Costa Rican saying, Pura Vida, means an agreement of life to me! We say "Pura Vida" intead of saying "hi" or "ok." "Pura Vida," is our phrase for everything. We even say it in place of "thanks!"  

So, this is exactly who we are: "Pure Life."

(Follow Sofia on Instagram (@sofiaprotti) to see more of this pure and colorful Costa Rican life.)

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What is one thing you recommend to do in Costa Rica to experience this Pura Vida?

My recommendation would be to see a sunset with a cup of coffee. Trust me our coffee is the best. The air is so perfect and the light is gold. Birds sing and you can have tamales with coffee, which is pretty close to glory I guess.
 

SOFIA'S FAVORITES FOR SAN JOSE:

Lunch spot: 
Soda San Martin in El Mercado Central 

Coffee:
Sofia's daily favorite coffee "1820." The name refers to the year Costa Rica started exporting coffee beans. Coffee production used to be the country's main economic activity (it is now tourism), and still remains the biggest export. 

Sharing always goes both ways, giving and taking. Thank you Alla and Mu-Hsien for taking the time and showing interest in my small unique homeland, Costa Rica. I hope others can also join this giving and taking experience, from which I have already learned so much.

Always welcome to Pura Vida land!
- - -
Sofia 
OTSP Neighbor Profile : Cuero Papel & Tijera  

Thank you global neighbor Sofia for taking us to lunch and sharing your Pura Vida way of thinking and working... I think we are definitely inspired to pay closer attention to nature's kaleidoscope and be open to the inspiration it sends our way!  (Photos: via Sofia) ~ Sofia helps us infuse our life with vibrant colors and simple and pure Costa Rican sensibility through her modern yet rich in history artisan leather bags and accessories. 

 { Alla's Picks }

 { Mu-Hsien's Picks }

• • •     LESSONS LEARNED #44    • • •

Inspiration is all around us, 
you just have to look through a fresh pair of eyes to see it.

 Get everyday adventure ideas @LiveLikeYoureTraveling

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Love Without Borders : Courting in Chiapas, Mexico

Here at LLYT, we love a good love story, especially one that brings people together... beyond borders. We last visited (Wild Sicily) through global neighbor Jillian, of A Feathery Nest and today we bring you a taste of rural Mexico through Courtney, of Chiapas Bazaar. (Photos via Courtney)

Sure you can fall in love with a person or with a place, but to fall in love with someone who also lives in a faraway place? Sounds like something out of a fairy tale, right? But in today's world of high speed trains, planes, wifi and pretty much high speed everything, why should borders cultural or geographical still deter us from following our dreams? So starts a new series "Love Without Borders" in which we will take a peek at the lives of our Global Neighbors to see what happens when we transcend these barriers. Thank you Courtney for sharing your story!   

• • •

Chiapas and I have a curiously long history together. While I’ve only lived here full-time for a year and a half, Chiapas and I first heard of each other back in the year 2000. Chiapas was here, where it always is, and I was studying Spanish in a city called Cuernavaca, a beautiful town about an hour outside of Mexico City.  At that point, I hadn't yet visited Chiapas - that happened for the first time in 2004.  But sight unseen, it had always intrigued me - jungles, Zapatistas, Mayan ruins...

After finishing university, I moved to New York City and scrambled up the corporate ladder at LVMH, finally ending up at Marc Jacobs International. Life was cozy and delicious, but something was missing. I also had this dream of joining the Peace Corps, of serving a greater good - paying it forward. So I undertook the laborious process of applying to go volunteer in the developing world. I was finally assigned my country - with all my Spanish lessons and my extensive Latin America travels - and I went to Moldova (itty bitty country in Eastern Europe, in case you haven´t heard of it…).  

I had about three months to tie up loose ends with my US life, friends, and family. I decided to take one month and spend it in Chiapas, Mexico where I could eat tacos and mole to my heart’s content.  It was a solo trip - almost like a NYC decompression chamber. But I was also fortunate because I had some friends in Chiapas that I knew from my study abroad days.

 • • • 

During this time in Chiapas, it was through a friend of mine that I had met during my time in Cuernavaca that introduced me and my future husband. The following events are important because they just affirm how the universe had been conspiring to get us (me, M. and Chiapas) together. While living in Moldova with M. still in Mexico, I fell and broke my ankle and was eventually discharged from the Peace Corps. Once I healed, I moved here to Chiapas to be with M. and I haven’t looked back. I had always wanted to live in Mexico, so there wasn't much of a discussion between M and I about where we would start our new life together.

• • • 

So now you see - I have a background in world of fashion and I have a passion for service.  How did these two interests manifest themselves in my adopted home of Chiapas?  In this { www.chiapasbazaar.com }  

We started Chiapas Bazaar in early 2013 with the goal to provide a steady income to rural artisans in the state of Chiapas by exposing their products to international markets where there is a great demand for beautiful, handmade treasures. We are also keenly aware of the demand for factory-free pieces and are extremely proud to say that artisans work from home where they can still do their daily duties and create their pieces in their downtime.  It’s a “win-win” for everyone. The artisans can continue their trade but reach new markets and have steady work; customers around the world can own a piece handmade by a Chiapas artisan; and we create the connection between these two that wouldn’t otherwise exist.  

• • • 

Our job takes us to many beautiful rural places in Chiapas - the greenest place you might imagine, full of lush tropical vegetation or pine forests where the vast majority of the population works in agriculture in the countryside. We travel and visit the off-the-beaten path villages where Spanish is often the second language of the residents. It´s almost like the backdrop is the same, just the traditional dress of the people changes. In these villages with semi-paved roads, you’ll find the most beautiful colors and color combinations, traditions passed down generations, and true artists.  

We feel extremely honored to work with the artisans and we feel that we have a huge responsibility to educate customers and anyone who visits our site about the work the artisans dedicate themselves to and the time, effort and skill it requires to produce such beautiful things.

- - -  

Muchos saludos from Chiapas and we had so much fun "meeting" you both!  
- Courtney of Chiapas Bazaar

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Head on over to ChiapasBazaar.com for Mexican handmade global finds! 
Here are some of our favorites:

Alla's Picks

Mu-Hsien's Picks

So wait... if you bravely defy any obstacles and just 'go for it' the universe actually HELPS you along? I guess we suspected that, it's just the universe wants us to be the ones to take that first scary step. --- If you're a Global Neighbor who has transcended cultural or geographical borders for love and would like to share your Love without Borders story, (we'd love to hear from you!)  
 

• • •     LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

Sometimes you have to break an ankle 
to get on the right path. 

Get everyday adventure ideas @LiveLikeYoureTraveling

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IDEA126: Travel Like a Local and Stay in a Family Friendly Kid & Coe Home

Sometimes you come across a company and you just want to scream "YES!!! This is exactly what I've been dreaming about!". Well here is a fabulous new find for traveling with kids. (Thanks BozAround for the introduction!) Kid & Coe are taking "apartment" stay to the next level specializing in places with children's rooms equipped with toys and other child friendly extras. I don't know about you but when we travel we bring a suitcase for ourselves, a suitcase for the child (we have yet to travel with our new baby Vin, but he is only 3 weeks old) AND a suitcase with toys, not to mention a stroller. Staying at Kid & Coe place will surely help to eliminate the toy suitcase at least. 

Improving travel logistics is only one of the benefits, what we really love about this idea is how you can experience a destination while living like a local family! You know we here at OTSP are all about immersion travel. Eating like locals, or rather with locals, and now you can live like a local too. I for one can't wait to try this out. I told Vito last year that I thought it would be fun to celebrate Christmas in Iceland with the whole family. He thought it was a rather strange idea considering Iceland is a cold and dark place in the middle of winter. I however envision cozy strolls along the shopping street during the Christmas presents rush and having hot chocolates at the adorable cafes. Of course going for a family dip in the pools. Going on sled rides... the list goes on as I think there is plenty of family fun to be had in the wintry Iceland. By the way, each Kid&Coe apartment comes with a guide of kid friendly activities from a local scout. Perfection!

• • • 
[ The Hrisateigur Residence, Iceland ]

At the end of a fun filled day you want to come "home" and have a refrigerator available for the inevitable snacks and milk bottles, you want comfortable room to "stow" your kids away for a night of sweet dreams and TRUST me you want a comfortable living room with a TV and somewhere to perch your over-sized glass of red wine for an evening of relaxation. Vito and I call it the "happy moment", when we sit down on the couch alone after tucking in our oldest into bed promptly at 8pm. Yes it's a bit different traveling with a toddler because unlike a baby who will happily snooze through thumping samba music in his stroller while his parents sip caipirinas at a swanky South Beach, Miami lounge, a toddler needs a real bed and preferably a night light with star shapes. (Prince!) Thus unless you want to be sitting in the dark starting at 8pm you need a place with a living room.  

• • • 

Kid&Coe's accommodations look so adorable that I can just imagine having a sweet little Christmas dinner at the "borrowed home" and pretending we're an Icelandic family! Would you just check out this residence of 5 bedrooms! Three adorable children's rooms fully stocked with toys, shelves of books and plastic dinosaurs!!! Also check out the huge bathtub! I can definitely see a "happy moment" happening in one of those! 

There is only one issue remains to be settled... WHEN ARE WE GOING!? 

• • •     LESSONS LEARNED    • • •

For happy travels make sure your child
and YOU have plenty of toys.

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is to post a comment, like below or pin it on Pinterest! ~ For more ways Live Like You're Traveling, follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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Love Without Borders : Meet Me in Sicily... (Italian Agritourismo)

We are so excited to introduce you today to a true "Global Neighbor," J of (A Feathery Nest) Who are global neighbors really? They're people with whom you have many things in common and despite not living near each other, they're always there for you with advice and inspiration! J will be taking us along on a trip to Sicily along with her Sicilian husband R. If you were as curious, as we were, about Italian agriturismo travel from the (Nudo-Italia post), this is a perfect opportunity to preview it before booking your own trip! 

• • •

Sicilia Selvaggia, Wild Sicily 

 In the spring of my final year of college I decided to create one of those new'ish blog thingies that everybody seemed to have. I had "discovered" them the previous summer when I Googled other people's experiences living in New York, before heading up there myself for an internship.

After getting my first blog started, I eventually gathered a circle of people who checked in on me and who I checked in on, too. One of them was a hotsy-totsy, feisty Ukrainian gal that lived in Staten Island and worked in Manhattan. We learned a lot about each other by commenting on each other's blogs and now three blogs later for me (and I believe the same number later for her!), we're still "in" each other's lives, despite trans-Atlantic moves, marriages, babies and 8 years passing. The crazy thing is, we've only ever met once!

When Alla and Mu-Hsien created On the Same Page, I got it. Immediately. After all, what better way to define the relationship between Alla and myself than "global neighbors"—friends that support each other from far away? So of course when Alla sent me a note asking if I'd like to share a story about one of my favorite topics on OTSP, I immediately agreed!

• • •  

Eight years ago I decided the perfect way to bridge my college chapter and the rest of my life would be to travel around Europe by myself for a month. Specifically, Italy. I crafted a plan to do a giant figure-eight of the country, spending the last few days with a friend who would fly over to meet me for the final leg in Sicily. That's how it came to be that I had a witness to the first time my eyes locked with R, the man who would become my husband.

R and I have been married now for almost 4 years, so if you're following the math here, that means that for 4 years I lived on the East coast of the U.S. while he lived on the East coast of Sicily. While trans-Atlantic dating is not exactly what I would call easy (especially given the limited amount of vacation time we get in NYC!), it does make for wonderful reunions.

One year I planned to meet R in Stockholm for Christmas, and then to fly down to Sicily for his birthday before I had to return home. As Christmas was spent with family in Sweden, and his birthday would be with friends in Sicily, we decided to fly to the west coast of the island for New Year's alone before renting a car and driving across the whole of Sicily to Taormina, his hometown, for his birthday.

• • • 

Neither of us are big New Year's Eve revelers, so we looked for tranquil seaside towns to ring in the new year together. We found a lovingly restored agriturismo (a farm-turned-B&B) outside Marsala—which would be a quick drive from the Trapani airport, where we landed from Stockholm, and a good starting point for the two day's drive back to Taormina on the first of the year. After we landed in Trapani, picked up a car, and drove to the Agriturismo Masseria Baglio Tenute Montalto (yes, a mouthful!) on the 31st, we quickly got settled and then back to the car we went. 

• • • 

We were on a mission to find the nearest little town to stock up on the fixings for an in-room picnic: salami, prosciutto, formaggio al pepe nero (Sicilian cheese with black peppercorns), wine, sparkling water, dark chocolate, figs, grapes, mandarines, sundried tomatoes, marinated eggplant, a loaf of bread, and some olives. We found everything we wanted and then some, so by the the time the sun was lowering in the sky, we were camped out at the farmhouse on our bed with a feast before us. 

• • • 

I fully intended to stay awake until midnight, but with a full tummy, and all the sea air I had breathed in while tooling around the coast that day, I fell asleep by 9. R gently awoke me for a midnight kiss and then we both slept deeply until morning. 

The sky was still somewhere between night and dawn when we padded out of our room and took a walk along the water to greet the new year. We weren't the only ones out—a fisherman had been hard at work before the sun rose and was already coming in with his haul when we emerged from our cocoon. With our boots in the sand and a few stones in our hands, we broke the surface of the water with a wish for each ripple we made as we launched pebbles into the Mediterranean Sea—our own morning's work.

• • • 

When we returned to the farmhouse, the Signora welcomed us to breakfast in the cantina. We sat a midst the barrels and iron tools and broke bread as the sun that streamed through the windows went from weak, hazy light, to full on Sicilian rays.

• • • 

After checking out, and receiving a few bottles of wine as a gift from the proprietors (made from their own grapes!), I lugged the massive wooden doors open, and we wended our way back up the coast along the wine road (Strada del Vino), past Trapani, through Erice (which looks like Rio de Janeiro!) where we stopped for lunch, and on to Palermo for the night. The next day we continued on through the heart of Sicily, with a pause to stretch our legs in Enna before arriving home.

I'm so glad that I fell in love with a Sicilian. There's something about the uninhibited, but many-times-over-inhabited land that makes sense to me. The fiery spirits and fiery food, the wildness of the plains, the roughness of the rocky crags, the introvertedness of people living in small, remote hilltop towns where they only speak Ancient Greek, the hooded glances and double-voweled and -consonant'ed dialects that echo Arabic origins, the fierceness and protectiveness of a much-conquered people. I don't think I'd ever set foot in a place that I recognized as much as I did as when I first rode the night train from Reggio Calabria on the mainland to Messina, the port of entry into Sicily.

Of course I could always return by myself if I hadn't met R, but experiencing the whole of the island from left to right, reading it my way, instead of the Arabic way, alongside someone who could guide me, and more importantly, translate, helped me see what I would never have been able to see on my own. There's no passport or visa that will open the doors and hearts of the Sicilians—the only way to gain entry, especially for someone that's passing through, is by the hand of one of the island's own.

Or by a glance from one of her sons.

• • • 

When we reached the summit of Erice and took a walk after lunch near the city walls, we leaned against the stones that have supported many who stopped to inhale the same magnificent views and saw an elderly shepherd herding his flock through the pasture below. He looked up and caught R's eye—perhaps recognizing the soul of his Sicilian brother. Then he directed his glance my way and tipped his head ever so slightly, acknowledging my presence. 

We paused to watch him walk slowly, purposefully, stopping every few paces to check that he was being followed by all of his sheep, and maybe to see if we were still observing him. He finally chose a boulder—his boulder, I'm sure—to sit upon while he took his canteen and wrapped lunch from his satchel, carefully unfolding the waxy paper and linen wrappings. His flock took note and found their own patches of meadow to chew contentedly on. The leader and his followers, all pausing for their midday meal.

R tightened his arm, which was draped across my shoulders and said to me, "Who do you think is the richer man, him? Or, Donald Trump?"

The answer was so clear, I didn't even need to say it aloud.

Goethe was right when he said, "To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything."

- - -
Thanks for inviting me over, Alla!

XOXO,

J. of *sparklingly

• • •   ARE YOU A GLOBAL NEIGHBOR?   • • •

Would you like to introduce us to your part of the world
or take us along on a discovery? Write us!

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IDEA117: Stock Your Global Pantry with Nudo-Italia Olive Oil and Adopt Your Own Tree

Few years ago Vito and I stayed for a week in Sicily, spending some time in Taormina, visiting quietly fuming Etna and taking a spin to see some of the Eolian islands. Even though it was the first week in October, the weather was still sweltering during the day only cooling off pleasantly at night. Compared to the "mainland" Italy, Sicily to me always feels so undiscovered, do full of nature's abundance. It seems that the raw elements are in charge and we humans are mere guests allowed to observe.  

The same feeling applies to Sicilian cuisine. The ingredients themselves are at the very center of cooking, coming fresh from the sea or land. The less is done to them the more glorious their taste is. This really is very surprising in Sicily, the most simplest ingredients are thrown together and are already delicious without a lot of complicated moves in the kitchen. Just a drizzle of olive oil and a twist of salt and you're done! On our first day there we sat down for a nice lunch, a salad (for me) and a simple pizza with pomodorini and ruccola (for Vito). I eat salads for lunch all the time, but this salad was out of this world. Greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, tuna and a sprinkle of corn, and of course a generous splash of olive oil somehow resulting in an explosion of taste! Vito's equally unpretentious pizza got a drizzle of oil as well and washing it all down with a light white wine, we could not have been happier. 

Through out the week over and over we have experienced this phenomenon of delicious ingredients enhanced just with olive oil. Even a basket of bread, which I usually ignore when eating out, would be inhaled immediately with intermittent dunking in a little plate of olive oil and Sicilian salt. We thought about how to bring this "magic" back home with us. Is it even possible? I mean, we can't reproduce the fresh air and sea breeze and sunshine that are so instrumental in making the ingredients taste so good. No, sadly it's not possible at the moment, and neither is a lavish Sicilian summer residence, but there is something we can do to incorporate a big part of Sicilian magic in our cooking... and that is, to use best quality olive oil.  

I was searching for a while to find a great source of olive oil and finally came across a company called Nudo-Italia that offers quarterly olive oil delivery straight from grove. And "straight from the grove" is not just a clever tag line, you'll know WHICH grove the oil comes from! Through their "Adopt a tree" program you can actually browse a list of small family operated olive groves that they work with and choose one yourself. When you adopt a tree you receive quarterly delivery of 1st press olive oil. Recently Nudo-Italia added a Sicilian grove called Barone Pastore located on the Trapanese cost. You can read more about it here. And guess what!? You can actually VISIT your tree, and hug it, if that's what you're into. Yes, yes, you can visit the grove and your tree, as well as arrange for a tour of the olive press and learn more about your olive oil and how it's made. 

Most of the grove owners also operate Agriturismo, which is a farm stay type bed and breakfast. (Check them out here.) What do you know? Maybe that dream summer residence in Sicily is not so far fetched after all... 

Or better yet, take a tour with global neighbor J, of (*sparklingly) to Sicily, back when she was dating her Sicilian husband R, in "Meet Me in Sicily..."

While scheming up a yearly Sicilian getaway, feel free to indulge in Sicilian style living right in your own home.  We've been doing just that by taking advantage of the uncharacteristically warm summer here in the Netherlands and grilling up anything that moves, chopping-up anything that's green and dousing it all in Nudo-Italia olive oil. Ahhh... che vita dolce! 

 Where to find Nudo-Italia olive oil: 

Order on their website & world wide delivery costs are already included in the price.
(Grove photos via Nudo-Italia.com)

And I did not forget about the Sicilian salt! Like the Barone Pastore olive grove, the salt is also found on the Trapanese coast, which is said to have the oldest salt marshes of Europe. (In the US purchase HERE, rest of the world HERE.) 

 • • •    WHAT ABOUT YOU?    • • •

Do you have an obsession with something from Sicily? 
Any delicacies you buy directly from producers?
 

Love it? Share it! - We are dedicated to sharing stories that spark ideas and are meaningful to you. The best way to let us know is by posting a comment, like below or pin it on Pinterest! ~ For More ways Live Like You're Traveling follow us on Feedly, Bloglovin, Pinterest, or Facebook. 

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Refresh Your Grocery List with 5 Essential Chinese Ingredients

about 11 years ago

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IDEA110: Enjoy a 15 Min. Homemade Spaghetti Bolognese on a Weeknight

about 12 years ago

IDEA114: Get Luminous Skin with this Natural French Beauty Secret

My grandma told me to never reveal my beauty secrets... but I figured... what the heck!  You know for a while I had lots of my friends convinced that my sweat sparkles? Yes yes, the lovely shimmer is what happens when I sweat. Now I will reveal what it really is, sorry grandma, this is just too good not to share!  

Let's talk summer skin...
You're showing a lot of it during the balmy summer days so making sure it's looking wonderful is pretty important. Enter: Organic Bronzing Oil.

I've been using bronzing oils in the summers for a long time after I accidentally discovered a bottle in a tiny local pharmacy. Bronzing oil is just what it sounds like, it's an oil to which tiny golden sparkles are added.  When you apply it to your skin it gives a beautiful overall shimmer.  The sparkle particles are really tiny so it doesn't look like you've spilled glitter all over yourself, it just gives your skin a light sparkle when the sun hits it.  

As I "grew-up" I've modified my choice of bronzing oils and now I use only the organic versions made with lovely, good for your skin, oils. My current choice is Huile Prodigieuse OR by NUXE. ($34.96 here worldwide.) 

NUXE, meaning Nature plus Luxury, is a French bio-cosmetics company started in 1989 by an entrepreneur Aliza Jabes with the help of her research pharmacist father. It's made with oils of: borage, St Johns Wort, sweet almond, camellia, hazelnut, and macadamia and Vitamin E.  These lightly moisturize the skin and also have a very pretty scent.  Now perhaps it's misleading to call this a "bronzing" oil because it does not actually change your skin color, but simply make it more glowing. You know, it gives you that je ne sais quoi...

What I love is that it's so light, you can use this on your face AND your hair for the ultimate sun kissed just returning from a day on my yacht look! 

• • • 

More all natural choices
 

Nuxe falls close to the middle of this line-up in terms of price. The difference lies in the different mixes of oils and of course "brand mythology".  

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1 - Monoi de Tahiti Precious Dry Oil from Yves Rocher another French cosmetics brand, is also a delicious choice made with Monoi de Tahiti oil.  I've always been a huge (HUGE!) fan of their regular Monoi de Tahiti Oil so I have a feeling this shimmery addition is going to be a huge hit for the brand as well. (A steal at $20 for 100ml bottle, and seems to be perpetually on sale for $12 on the Yves Rocher world sites. )

2 - Acorelle Organic Glittering Dry Oil from Acorelle again a French bio cosmetics brand.  Made with jojoba, and vitamine E oils, scented with calendula extract and ylang ylang oil.(13.90 Euro. Worldwide here. The delivery cost however to the USA is a hefty 19 Euro so this will only be worth it if you're buying a few more hard to get items.)

3 - Organic Bronzing Shimmer Oil from LucyB Cosmetics, a company inspired by bush flowers of Australia, is made with organic coconut, jojoba and sunflower oils.  It's scented with LucyB's signature Australian Bush Flower Essences.
($28 for a 50ml bottle. Rest of the world here.)

4 - Gold Shimmer Oil from Omorovicza, a Hungarian Company with roots going back 2000 years when the Omorovicza family set up a spa after the healing properties of Hungarian thermal waters were discovered. Coconut, rice germ, apricot seed and calendula oils were scented with ylang-ylang to create this. 
(A splurge at $80 for a 100ml bottle in the US here. Rest of the world here.)

Or make your own organic bronzing oil! 
Grab yourself a bottle of organic sunflower oil and some gold and bronze mica powders. Mix the gold and bronze powders to achieve the color of your choice and measure about 1 tsp of mica powder for 1 oz of oil. Add some essential oils to scent it. The below supplies will last you for more then one portion.  

• Sunflower oil  ($6.50 for 16 oz)
• Gold and bronze mica powders ($12.60)
• A little glass bottle for your creation

• • • 

The final step in pulling off this beauty secret is to know exactly what to say when you receive numerous complements and inquiries about why your skin is shimmering.  I suggest something like this: "What? Me? Sparkling? Where?" Look really surprised and pretend to inspect your skin carefully... "Oh hmm... I don't know, I am a bit sweaty, I guess that's what it is...I'm so embarrassed..."   Look appropriately embarrassed because someone noticed you shwitzing.  Practice this little performance in front of the mirror a few times to perfect it. 

 • • •    WHAT ABOUT YOU?    • • •

What is your go to beauty secret? 
What's a beauty tip you can't live without in the summer? 
{ Show us + Tag it‎‎ #OTSPnaturalbeauty }

on our Facebook Page or leave a photo or blog post link in the comments.
 

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IDEA112: Cultivate Tranquility with a Japanese Matcha Tea Ritual

Initially I was drawn to Matcha for it's astounding health benefits. Anti-aging, cancer-fighting, stress-reducing, weight-loss aid, superfood status. It blows away other green teas when comparing EGCG antioxidant levels (137 times the amount of EGCG as other infused green teas!)  

Matcha is a premium form of green teas traditionally used in Japanese Tea Ceremonies. There's extra care in it's culitvation process as it's grown in the shade. This causes a greater production of chlorophyll, also adding to its brilliant green color. 

Unique to other teas, Matcha leaves are steamed and ground immediately after picking. Instead of just consuming a portion of leaf infused phytonutrients, the ground form allows you to benefit from the nutrients of the whole leaf! And because of omitting the oxidation process, it prevents the bitter taste, leaving a smooth, vegetal flavor with a lightly sweet aftertaste.  

• • • 

Since digging in to the use of it in tea ceremonies, I am now left with a much deeper curiosity for its rich tradition. Tea ceremonies are elaborate and poetic affairs that are meant to cultivate harmony, respect, purity and tranquility.  

Every detail has symbolic meaning. From the purposely non-ornate tea houses and what's housed inside to calm the senses, to every ritualized gesture in cleaning the utensils. There is a complexity to the etiquette, showing great respect to the manner in which tea is poured and sipped. Now although I may not go as far as  studying the art of Chudo (Tea Ceremony) I AM inspired to introduce another expression of being present into my day to day. Although I already enjoy tea rituals whether in the morning or after dinner, learning about this Japanese art form intensifies my own connection during this process. It is truly yet another example of when, what you put into something is directly related to what you get out of it.

• • •

Before I share a modern adaptation for Matcha, let's take a moment to prepare our minds and channel the tranquility often found in Japanese rock gardens. I sat by this one, a view just steps from a tea house, which instantly brought a sense of calm. One can't help but notice the extreme care that must have gone into the raking. Drawing from that sensibility...now let's make some tea :)

Japanese Matcha Tea Ritual

Take your time. (Even if this only takes a few min.) Every action in making the tea can draw you deeper into the present moment.

Materials 
• Organic Matcha Powder
• Whisk & small bowl

Modern Preparation
1 - Pour a little less than a table spoon of Matcha powder into a bowl (1 tbsp per serving)
2 - Heat water til boiling (1 cup per serving). Set aside to cool for a few min. (optimum temperature for the water is ~175F/80C.
3 - Pour 1/3 cup of water into bowl with matcha and whisk quickly in a zig zag motion until a layer of foamy bubbles cover the top. Should only take 10 sec.

Serve
Pour whisked matcha into a cup and fill the rest with more hot water. Final direction is the most important :)...Take it in. Relish in the fact that you're doing something good for yourself or others!

For a fuller Japanese tea experience...
Learn more about Matcha benefits, discover what a full tea ceremony might entail, watch an insightful video demo, or explore collectible items below: Organic Matcha, Chashaku (matcha bamboo scoop), Chasen (matcha bamboo whisk), Chawan (matcha bowl).

 • • •   WHAT ABOUT YOU?   • • •

What's your favorite daily ritual?
What's your current go-to healthy drink?

Get everyday adventure ideas @LiveLikeYoureTraveling

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