Sugar, Salt AndProbiotics: 10 Homemade Beauty Remedies From Mimi Dakar

Mimi Dakar’s Beverly Hills beauty clinic is hard to miss. Towering over the famous criss-cross of intersections around the Beverly Hilton, the clinic where Mimi Dakar's famous facials are administered has been a celebrity mainstay for years. The oxygen facials are an award season must, her skincare, supplements, and homeopathic treatments are top notch, and facials can be scheduled to take place high atop their rooftop garden. What else would you expect from a top Beverly Hills facialist? Although Mimi Dakar may have a star-studded, Hollywood reputation, what we love most about her practice is Mimi's holistic approach. Growing up in Tel Aviv, Israel, Mimi and her daughter always had a penchant for simple home remedies and beauty solutions, many of them simple solutions passed down for generations. We love gleaning wisdom from the Dakar's wealth of home remedies and thought we'd ask them to share with our readers. From her own personal recipe for a home facial to the strangest way to condition hair, you may be surprised by just how many beauty remedies are already stocked in your own pantry!



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Grounded: 8 Easy Steps to Start Composting With The Honest Company

We're all for making our homes the healthiest they can be, not only for our families but for the enviroment around us. While composting has been on our to-do list for quite some time, we've always shied away - the task always seemed a little too daunting. Where do we put it? What do we put in it? How do we prevent it from, well, stinking up the entire block? Thankfully, our friends at The Honest Company (Jessica and Christopher were two of our first Guest Editors!) have come to the rescue, with eight simple tips to get your compost pile going. Thank you very mulch... Starting a home composting program is easier than you think. Did you know Americans throw away more than 30 million tons of food waste per year? Many items found in your kitchen can be spared from the trash can. Thanks to our friends at ecoscraps you can start your home composting bin today and help lower this growing statistic. [olists num=1]



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Low To Luxe: 7 Best Fitness Trackers At Every Price Point

We're officially approaching the halfway mark of the year, and we're curious - how are those New Years Resolutions coming along? Maybe you've stuck with your original plans of action, maybe you've veered off-track, maybe your goals, as we hit Month Six of 2014, look completely different than they did in January. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, we truly believe that ramping up your resolutions doesn't need to break the bank. And on the flipside...sometimes a little luxury goes a long way when it comes to motivation! Here are seven of the best fitness trackers to take your goals to a whole new level, at every price point. Which is your fave?



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Make Your Own Ricotta: Garden Party Recipes from HeirloomLA

It's no secret that we're obsessed with the eco-considerate caterers behind HeirloomLA. Their inventive spreads are sustainable to the core and, if we've planned to make a cameo at an event, we often end up camping out for hours if Heirloom is there feeding us. This recent celebration of author Judy Kameon and her new book Gardens Are For Living was no exception to the rule. Inside Individual Medley's charming shop, garden-lovers gathered for a first glance at the book featuring Judy's inspired garden designs and bites of Heirloom's lavender shortbread, summer gazpacho and next-level avocado toasts. We asked Tara to dish out these two lovely garden party recipes for our readers and they're far too fun to make alone. Gather a few friends, concoct the cocktails first, then sip away as you try your hand at these homemade ricotta toasts and let us know how it goes. Stay tuned for more from Judy Kameon on recreating the inspired environments in her new book in your own backyard! [olists num=1] [olists num=2]



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Superba Food and Bread: 6 Ways To Take your Toast To The Next Level

The brand new Superba Food and Bread has our number. Sister restaurant to the well-loved and highly-acclaimed Superba Snack Bar just around the corner, Venice's new go-to foodie hang is serving up delicious grain salads, giant kale sandwiches (very Chalkboardy) and pricey, but worth it, fresh hazelnut milk lattes. What we appreciate most about Chef Jason Travi's new bread-tastic offerings are the selections of highly unusual toast combinations. We are toast fanatics and, whether or not you are as well, its likely that you still eat the crumby stuff from time to time: if you're twenty, in a European hostel for sustenance. If you're thirty, then as a this-will-do and out-the-door family breakfast. And if you're forty...then with caviar and creme fraiche. Any way you slice it, we all eat toast and Superba Food and Bread is serving it up in our favorite forms. Here are six inspired ideas from Chef Travi to take your ho-hum bread and butter up to his warm and toasty standards...



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Superfood Spotlight: Bee Propolis

What you need to know: We are pretty much in love with anything and everything created by bees. From Manuka and raw honey to bee pollen and royal jelly, each has profound health benefits - which is why we have recently added bee propolis to our superfood hit list. Propolis is made by bees from beeswax and other secretions, and is mixed with tree resins to be used as a sealant for the beehive. Much like a coat of armor, it protects the hive from infection due to its potent antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It functions in a very similar manner when it comes to humans, stimulating the thymus gland (the master of the immune system) and enhancing resistance against infection of all kinds. In particular, propolis can be effective for respiratory issues such as a sore throat and cough, as well as oral issues such as canker sores and dental pain. Why you should try it: Propolis is the bee's knees: rich in bioflavonoids, amino acids, as well as a good source of trace minerals, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. It has a wide range of healing properties, with research showing promise in its ability to increase recovery time and accelerate new cell growth. It is used as a topical healing agent for burns, minor wounds, infections- even skin cancers and melanomas. Propolis may even be effective in lowering high blood pressure, reducing arteriosclerosis and lowering the risk for heart disease. One other interesting use of propolis? It is commonly used among holistic practitioners for its ability to successfully clear stubborn acne - even the cystic variety. Let's get together: Propolis is not something that can be eaten straight, but can easily be consumed in supplement form. It can be added to your choice of liquid when taking a tincture, or is available as a lozenge or capsule. The lozenges are best used for immediate relief from issues of the oral cavity or throat, while the tincture or capsules are better used for internal benefit or conditions of the skin. Our favorite supplement is Propolis Complex by Premier Research Labs.



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Health at all Costs: The 3 Best Green Juices And Powders at Every Price

Across the board, both Eastern and Western practitioners agree that one of the single most important things you can do for your health is to increase your greens intake. The more the variety, the better. From lettuce and kale, to broccoli and Brussels sprouts, even the more exotic chlorella and wheatgrass, greens are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. Bursting with foundation-building vitamins and minerals, and anti-aging, disease-fighting antioxidants, it is no wonder greens are renown for their medicinal capabilities. Research is beginning to uncover that greens help the body to detoxify - clearing harmful toxins including heavy metals, chemicals and xeno-estrogens from the system. Greens help to build strong bones, teeth, hair, and nails, nourish and cleanse the blood, brighten the skin, and keep an alkaline pH, all the while maintaining a resilient immune system. Due to their far-reaching benefits, we love to use greens as our multivitamin - the bonus points in our daily diet, ensuring that we get all the nutrients we need for the day. No matter how the rest of the day goes - an extra large coffee to meet a deadline, a celebratory piece of birthday cake or an after dinner cocktail - greens in the morning mean we still feel good, and our health remains somewhat in tact. Pick from our top three favorites, each featuring an array of nutrient-dense greens, and maximize your greens potential! TCM Note: While incorporating leafy greens into every meal is the best place to begin, we also suggest supplementing with a greens powder or greens juice. Taking greens in powder or juice form allows you to consume much higher levels of nutrients that otherwise would be near to impossible to consume in food form. So unless you can manage to eat a head of kale, a head of broccoli, a bunch of wheatgrass and a side of blue-green algae all in one day, consider one of our top picks from below.

High: Greens 1 by Pressed Juicery Nothing goes down easier that a bottle of fresh-pressed green juice. That is why Greens 1 from Pressed Juicery is always going to be our daily staple. Featuring some of our favorite greens - kale, spinach, and romaine, this juice amps up its nourishing and cleansing properties with the addition of parsley, cucumber, and celery. The added bonus is that this particular green juice contains all of the live enzymes present in vegetables, which increase its ability to detoxify, energize and hydrate. Liquid chlorophyll is how we see it! If you want to learn more about how to make green juice at home, or the health benefits of juicing, pre-order JUICE, the new juicing how-to book by the Pressed Juicery founders!

Midpoint: Green SuperFood Powder by Amazing Grass Raw Reserve

A complete blend of algaes, cereal grasses, sea vegetables and a few other functional foods, there is hardly anything left out of the Amazing Grass Greens Superfood blend. Homegrown and developed on a family farm in the middle of Kansas, many of the ingredients are tended to and harvested with the utmost attention and care. What that leaves us with is some of the most nutrient dense cereal grasses on the face of the Earth. In order to amplify the benefits of this greens blend, the nutrient powerhouses spirulina, chlorella and sea vegetables are also included. Algae and sea vegetables are powerful detoxifiers and blood cleansers, which is vital for maintaining optimal health. Each ingredient in Raw Reserve is completely raw, vegan and of the highest quality. Plus, each serving contains over 25 billion live probiotics at the time of bottling, making it beneficial for digestion, mood and immunity. Raw Reserve is one of our favorite ways to drink our greens, especially when added into one of our go-to Tropical Green Smoothie recipes.

Low: Ormus SuperGreens by Sunwarrior An incredibly unique formula, Sunwarrior Ormus Supergreens includes potent nutrition from alfalfa, barley grass, wheat grass, spinach, oat grass, parsley, moringa, and ginger. These supergreens are grown in pristine, ancient volcanic valleys. The fertile, mineral-rich volcanic soil nurtures these organic greens, enriching them with trace minerals, which is what makes this greens powder so therapeutic. Trace minerals are oftentimes missing in our diet, and they are the very thing that makes us feel energized, hydrated and alert. This greens blend uses a patented cold-drying process that protects the heat-sensitive bioactive components and phytonutrients. This is unique in that it leaves us with a superior green superfood powder that is alive, and raw. This process conserves the delicate balance of essential oils, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, so that your body can easily absorb and utilize them. The best part is that this greens formula comes in a delicious peppermint flavor, making it a happy addition to a cold glass of water or superfood smoothie.



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Flower Power: A Springtime Salad From Calistoga Ranch

Calistoga Ranch, you had us at hello. This award-winning Napa Valley resort is nestled in a secluded canyon, surrounded by woods, vineyards, and the breathtaking Lake Lommel. While we're suckers for five-star spas and scenic views, the way to our hearts is definitely through our tastebuds. Thankfully, executive chef Aaron Meneghelli seals the deal with his culinary masterpieces over at Calistoga Ranch's The Lakehouse restaurant: a celebration of Napa Valley’s authentic food and wine culture set alongside Lake Lommel. Chef Meneghelli - whose prior experience runs the gamut from Michelin-celebrated restaurants to the famous Robert Mondavi winery - has spent most of his life in Napa Valley, and makes sure to infuse every dish with a unique take on the farm-fresh fare his beloved region has to offer. It doesn't hurt that Calistoga Ranch has its own garden and chicken coop at the ready for his springy seasonal concoctions! Chef Meneghelli's recipe for springtime in Napa includes farm favorites and some seasonal surprises: colorful baby beets, juicy olive-oil-soaked kumquats, plus an array of wild rabe of radish, mustard greens, and more, picked straight from the garden. While these plants might look like weeds, don't be fooled into grabbing your gardening gloves! When harvested, they add both a pretty presentation to any dish as well as the flavors of their more mature older siblings. Soak in the spring sun and indulge in this light, bright salad fit for a garden fairy...



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On My Nightstand: 7 Natural Night-time Beauty Faves

Here are seven products that have staked claim to the top real estate in our nightstand drawers. From night cream to herbal tonics, we can't sleep at night without this round-up of delicious, dream-inducing goodies. Find a few new things to keep your body healthy, well-rested and beautified by the time your alarm rings come morning...



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A Day with Helene Henderson of Malibu Farm

spending the day with Helene Henderson is an experience to remember. Whether at the actual Malibu Farm where she lives with her director husband, brood of boys, goats and a few chickens, or out at the end of the Malibu Pier where she runs the cafe of the same name, a day with Helene is not quickly forgotten. It could be all the Swedish pancakes. But it is also Helene's playful, laid-back Malibu attitude, close-knit family, and the incredible organic fare she whips up at both locales for family and lucky Malibu locals. Helene is author of The Swedish Table and cooks for VIP clients all over the city with a clean, delicious approach to fresh and local eating. Malibu Farm, the cafe, hangs out over the Pacific Ocean just an arm's length from one of the Bu's top surfing spots and, though its been open just a couple of years, feels like it's been part of the neighborhood for decades. A morning out on the pier, cozied up in Malibu Farm's sweet and salt-scrubbed Swedish dining room, is a dreamy immersion into the perfect beach moment we're after at the end of all our PCH cruising. Helene's killer vitamin B juice shots, quinoa oatmeal, Cafe Luxxe coffees and simple lunch fare keep us coming back for more. We asked Helene to share a glimpse inside her typical Malibu day, both on her busy home farm and out on the pier where her sons take turns flipping Swedish pancakes and hitting the waves. Here's Helene...



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Goodebox Celebrates A Night For Green Beauty

Last fall at New York Fashion Week, we sponsored a beauty event like no other. Hosted by skin oil aficionado Victoria Fantauzzi of La Bella Figura, last year's A Night For Green Beauty brought together some of our all-time favorite natural skin care and beauty brands for a night of shopping, green bonding and juice cocktail-guzzling.

This year, A Night For Green Beauty will happen right here in L.A. at the height of summer. We're counting down the days already and and can't wait get our paws on the best new green beauty offerings from brands like Beautycounter, Odacite and La Bella Figura...and to see all our friends in the green beauty world in one place!

At this year's event, we'll be welcoming natural beauty bloggers, top retailers and, of course, Chalkboard readers, for this second annual shopping event in celebration of the best in green beauty innovation. Stay tuned for more all summer long as we break down just what this night will entail, but - to hold you over 'til then - Goodebox is getting all this green goodness started early! June 2nd through July 14th, Goodebox will be releasing limited supplies of A Night For Green Beauty Deluxe Beauty Boxes, proceeds to benefit this year's charity, Baby2Baby. Here are all the deets you need to get this party started all summer long...

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One Ingredient Wonder: Curtis Stone’s Rhubarb Tart From Maude Restaurant

Chef Curtis Stone's cozy, new LA restaurant, Maude, is a celebration of seasonal eating. Each month, Stone and his team, hailing from such illustrious backgrounds as the French Laundry and el Bulli, select just one of the season's most signature ingredients and explore every delicious angle of it in a nine-course tasting menu as delicious as you might imagine. Seasonal eating is a great rule of thumb for healthy living, but it also gives us a delicious sense of connectedness to the world around us. Maude's star ingredients provide exactly the feeling you're after each season: the freshness of pea tendrils and snow pea pods in April, truffles nine ways in December, and, this month, the unique sweetness of rhubarb that signals the nearness of summer. We're obsessed with rhubarb lately and clearly we're not the only ones. This insanely simple rhubarb tart with cinnamon ice cream by Chef Curtis is pitch perfect for a warm May evening. Make the tart (or a reservation) for the kind of culinary experience best suited to this particular time of year... My mum grows rhubarb in her garden, so I have always had a soft spot for it. I think it has a lovely tart taste that is perfectly matched with something sweet and a little spicy – the honey and cinnamon ice cream is the perfect complement. Alternatively, buy some good-quality vanilla ice cream and soften it a little. Mix some ground cinnamon and honey into it and serve.



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10 Ideas For The Perfect Home Bar with Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, the stylish duo behind their namesake line of modern-meets-traditional home furnishings, are celebrating 25 years of gorgeous home cozy-making this spring with the opening of their flagship Beverly Hills showroom. Just a hop, skip and a step from Pressed Juicery Beverly Hills, the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams shop makes a welcome addition to an already glamorous neighborhood. We love the brand's seamless mix of old and new, casual and glamorous - these two know just what a home should feel like. We took a stab in the dark and asked Mitchell and Bob to give us the lay of the land when it comes to home entertaining. Just as we hoped, these two have the whole thing down pat and are sharing their stellar tips with us below about keeping a perfect home bar. We love their philosophy, we love their barware, and we wish they were hosting our next get-together... We love to entertain. And it’s a good thing we do, because we’re always hosting something for business or pleasure. (And in our world, the two very often overlap.) What we strive for is the same as in designing our furniture: to make people comfortable. The key we’ve found is this: If the host feels comfortable, guests will too. And what puts a host at ease is having everything organized. Here are tips to help:



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Common Good’s 10 Cool and Essential Tools For Spring Cleaning

We're blown away by the cool tools Common Good founder, Sacha Dunn has selected for this spring cleaning round-up. Shears from London's Labour and Wait? Vintage-feeling laundry bins on wheels? We're inspired to get down and dirty and clean house - and that's saying something! It should be no surprise that the maker of Common Good's simple, delicious-smelling and toxin-free cleaning products has a few stylish ideas about how to get dirty jobs done, but, nonetheless, we're impressed. Read through Sacha's list of cleaning tips and treat yourself to a little shopping for a few house-keeping staples. We recommend upgrading your spring cleaning experience with a bottle of Common Good Dish Soap in Coriander and big fresh stack of flour-sack towels. Here are the ten tools Sacha needs to get the house in good order...



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10 Tips For Staying Sane While on A Cleanse

We love these tips from holistic health coach Jennifer Taylor of Buckwheat To Butter for preparing, enjoying and staying sane on a cleanse. This week at The Chalkboard Mag offices a little sanity is all we need. Half our team is launching head first into Pressed Juicery's Semi-Annual Summer Cleanse and we're eating these tips right up. We're no newbies to our favorite 3-day cleanse and like to think we have the whole experience down pat, but these ideas from Jennifer extend beyond the bounds of things we normally consider when cleansing. Give her ideas a little consideration, begin your pre-cleanse activities and set a date to start that juice cleanse flowing! There are many ways to cleanse—from fasting to whole-foods-based cleanses—and they all aim to do the same thing: remove inflammatory substances and toxicity, and replenish the body with pure forms of nutrients found in natural, whole ingredients. The goal is to heal, to restore the body to its optimal health, and to let the powerful detoxification system we are born with do its work unhindered by blockages. But what about the mind? There is good evidence that our mental state (stressed, relaxed and everything in between) has a measurable impact on the well being of the body and the state of one’s health. Sure, you can do a cleanse for a few days without changing anything else in your day to day and perhaps feel better afterwards, but, when done mindfully, cleansing provides an amazing opportunity to turn the focus inwards, to make as much space in the mind and in the emotional body as we make in the physical body. Maybe you’re in a time of transition and need a fresh start to launch you into the next phase of your life. Maybe you’ve been holding on to something (an unhealthy relationship, a resentment, a loss, a fear) that you are ready to let go of. Perhaps you spend much of your time focused on and taking care of others and feel ready to do something loving for yourself. Some of us resist turning in, fear it even. Maybe your inner voice is asking you to stop distracting yourself so you can listen to your own intuition. In my holistic health coaching practice, in order to help clients get the most out of a cleanse, I encourage them to look at what they might be ready to get rid of besides the junk in their diets, and why they were drawn to cleansing in the first place. Whether you’re cleansing for three days or three months, here are some tips and tools for before, during and after your cleanse to get the most out of the experience. [olists num=1] [olists num=2] [olists num=3]



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Go Nuts: A Raw Chocolate Cheesecake To Die For

If there's one thing raw dessertists do right, it's cheesecake. Thought many of us think that going raw means giving up our favorite sweets, raw cheesecake is actually one of our all-time favorite desserts. It's not all that difficult to make. either. The Rawtarian, blogger Laura-Jane, specializes in raw food recipes like this one that are simple and satisfying, but she especially loves to create raw desserts - and we're so glad she does! This delicious and healthy raw chocolate cheesecake recipe is a snap to make. With ingredients like cashews, cherries and dates, this is one dessert you won’t feel guilty indulging in. Whip it up for a Mother's Day get-together or in place of the next special occasion cake. You won't be disappointed.



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My Paris Kitchen: David Lebovitz’s Butternut Squash Bread Soup

Le sigh, the modern cookbook. Filled with aspirational photography, essays, tips and lifestyle inspiration, many modern-day cookbooks transcends the definition of their older, index-like counterparts. No longer cut and dry lists of recipes, cookbooks like My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories unfurl the possibility of an entire lifestyle, this one a delicious waft of modern-day Parisian living. David Lebovitz's guide to cooking the old French classics in a modern way makes us feel like we could belong among the farmer's market-traipsing home cooks on today's Paris streets. This recipe for Butternut Squash Bread Soup is the perfect tell for what you'll find inside this wonderful new book: classic, yet modern; hearty, but fresh. Prepare to be knocked off your feet by Lebovitz's wonderful, edible tour of modern French life - just remember to set the oven timer before getting lost in it's pages. I get a kick out of telling French friends about all the French-style products that one sees in America, ranging from French-cut green beans (when I've asked, no one in France has any idea what "French­ cut" means) to a French-style refrigerator, a behemoth that looks nothing like the modest-size refrigerators you see in France. When I first served this panade at a dinner party, none of my Parisian friends had ever heard of the dish either. In fact, they told me that panade refers to someone who finds himself in a bad situation; they weren't aware of the baked casserole that's served like soup but is hearty enough to be a full meal. This panade is one of the few dishes I've eaten in my life that I've never forgotten. I was baking one night in the kitchen at Chez Panisse and was so busy that I barely had time to enjoy all the won­derful food that I watched the cooks send out to the guests. Seeing my rapt interest, cook Seen Lippert offered me a warm bowl of panade: slices of toasted sourdough bread soaked in flavorful broth with lots of fresh herbs and layers of hearty butternut squash holding everything together. I took one spoonful and had to stop what I was doing and sit down to savor it. (Belated apologies to the customers who had to wait a little longer for their dessert that night.) Seen has since left the restaurant business, which is unfortunate for the diners, but very good for her husband. Yet she was happy to share her recipe for panade, which is one of those dishes that gets better as it sits, and is even better rewarmed the next day. For baking the dish, a 4-quart baking dish is preferred, because the greater the width, the more crusty cheese topping you'll have when the panade is finished. Whatever size baking dish you use, it should have sides that are at least 3 inches high. For the bread, find a sturdy, tangy sourdough loaf that's quite dense. Depending on the size of your dish, you may need a little more or a little less bread, so you might want to have extra bread on hand. (Never a problem in France!) Sturdy rye bread will also work well, if sourdough loaves aren't available. This is one of those dishes where the quality of the chicken stock is very important, so I urge you to use homemade. Although this is called a "soup,” it's more like a very moist casserole. As you serve, ladle additional warm broth over each bowl if you wish.



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Brunch Punch: Perfect Cocktail Recipes From Pharmacie LA

It seems like we run into the gentlemen bartenders shaking up Pharmacie cocktails everywhere we go - and we're quite happy about it. Founder, Talmadge Lowe, is shaking up some of the freshest and best drinks at the coolest parties in town lately and we're all about it. With a healthy dose of respect for classic cocktails and ingredients, plus the fresh, farm-to-table twists that define the modern cocktail, Pharmacie is keeping LA tipsy in the most stylish ways possible. At our recent Mother's Day tea with Jenni Kayne, Pharmacie contocted three mother-loving cocktail recipes just perfect for a sunny weekend brunch or tea. The Sunday Punch is a modern classic, while The Mademoiselle was created especially for the afternoon. Pair with our tea time sweets recipes from Valerie Confections, a few of our favorite salad recipes...and then follow it up with Pressed Juicery's current juice cleanse special. Cheers! [olists num=2] [olists num=1]



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10 Ideas For A Perfect Mother’s Day Weekend

This weekend is a time to celebrate the woman who holds the family together - mom. She's got an ear that always listens, advice that's spot-on (whether our teenage selves liked to admit it or not), and is the walking, talking definition of a multitasking maven. The role of mama is not one to be taken lightly, and is one of the bravest adventures a woman can embark upon. Considering all she does every single day, this Mother's Day is certainly a cause for celebration. We've got the scoop on the best Mother's Day gifts and activities this weekend, from spa treatments and craft fairs, to breakfast-in-bed gone luxe. Here's everything we're loving to make this Mother's Day weekend extra special for the mama in your life...



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Sweet Nothings: Rose Petal Pétits Fours For Mother’s Day

Yet another delicious treat from our Mother's Day tea with Jenni Kayne, these cute and classic pétits fours are the perfect touch for a classic Mother's Day weekend get-together. Valerie Gordon's decadent cakes are filled with rose and passion fruit ganache, topped with candied rose petals and just plain gorgeous. Carve out some time and whip up these impressive cakes before the weekend starts - or make the cakes part of the Mom's Day activities themselves! For a young family, enlisting every member, big and small, to make these fun and old-fashioned tea cakes will surely create memories to last a lifetime. Make the Mom's Day festivities complete with Bash, Please's party details from our tea, from DIY crafts like sun prints and sachets, to decor details you can recreate at home. Take note of Moon Canyon's breath-taking arrangements and visit us for a closer look tomorrow when we share more florals and cocktail recipes from the afternoon. Kristen of Moon Canyon never ceases to amaze us. Learn a few of her tricks here and recreate this lavender and mauve-hued look on your own porch or patio. [olists num=1] [olists num=2] [olists num=3] [olists num=4]



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The Cool Mom: Mornings With Jenny Cooper of J.Crew’s Crewcuts

Miller and Walker Cooper will never have to face that awkward moment when being dressed by your mom just isn't cool anymore. That's because their mom is also responsible for dressing half their peers as top designer for J.Crew's wildly popular children's line, Crewcuts. When J.Crew first launched their kid's line, Crewcuts, years ago, Jenny Cooper happened to be the only in-house designer with children. Now that the line's adorable, child-sized versions of J.Crew classics (think tiny velvet blazers, crew neck sweaters and printed leggings - all with just a little more jungle gym-ready give) are deeply woven into the closets of cool kids everywhere, Jenny's knack for that perfect mini-me look seems to be firmly established. The Crewcut look, which includes shrunken down versions of the well-crafted looks their parents wear, is balanced with just enough colorful, un-commercial, but whimsical feeling details, from metallic Birks to glittery high-tops, to make it child-friendly. This mom has her finger on the style pulse for the swing-set set and we're coveting half the Spring lookbook for ourselves! With Mother's Day just around the corner, we thought we'd catch up with Jenny, the "cool mom" every other cool mom relies on to style up those tots, for a look into how her own mornings go - dressing the children well for school, early morning foot massages and all...

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Pretty Please: A Festive Mother’s Day Tea With Jenni Kayne

There is no more fitting time of year for an afternoon tea than Mother's Day and when we gather with Jenni Kayne, we're talking tea like nobody's business. Jenni's last gathering featuring Valerie Confections was just too delectable to forget, so again Jenni called upon Valerie for a little classic jam, scone, and pétits fours loveliness to treat a few of her favorite local moms and babes. With a gorgeous party spread by Valerie, little else is needed to make party guests swoon, but, for Mother's Day, Jenni decided to break out all the stops and invite one of our favorite florists, Kristen of Moon Canyon, along with the incredible party-planning ladies of Bash, Please - also a TCM fave. To learn all the details about the afternoon tea's decor, from the Jenni Kayne-inspired pre-fall Liberty Prints, to Bash, Please's sweet, homemade craft ideas for children and moms alike, visit ripplustan for all you need to recreate the look at home! As for the recipes, we're sharing a slew of sweets today and tomorrow here on TCM. Make plans to try your hand at these old-fashioned recipes for rose petal pétits fours, scones, lemon cream and - A Valerie Confections must - strawberry-vanilla bean jam. Worth the effort, and sure to please moms young and old this weekend at a cozy brunch or afternoon tea... [olists num=3] [olists num=1] [olists num=2]



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Breakfast in Bed with Parachute Home’s Ariel Kaye

Ariel Kaye's big idea began as so many good ideas do: with a good night's sleep. After a blissful night wrapped in perfect Italian bedding on a trip to the Amalfi Coast, Parachute Home founder, Ariel Kaye decided to make it her mission to bring this luxurious and restful experience to the rest of us here at home. The idea of offering top notch Italian bedding to the masses might not sound ground-breaking at first glance, that is until you view the price tag: a little over two hundred dollars for a full set of artisan-made Italian bedding. We're loving Parachute's clean, well-styled vibe, envelope closure pillowcases, and topless lifestyle -- Ariel urges everyone to consider foregoing their top sheet for a little chic, Euro-style uplift! We joined Ariel for a chat about morning rituals and breakfast in bed must-haves in a little twist on our usual Mornings With... feature. For the ultimate breakfast in bed experience, check out the Summerland Mother's Day Breakfast Box below which comes complete with a Parachute Home bedding discount - heaven! [olists num=1] [olists num=2]



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Julie Morris’ Strawberry Basil Superfood Smoothie

Julie Morris is our go-to girl for the most delicious superfood recipes out there, so we knew Morris' latest cookbook, Superfood Smoothies would be packed with nutrient-dense recipes we'd be ready to whip up night and day. Packed with one hundred smoothie recipes, this cookbook redefines what can be blended, and happily enjoyed, as Julie dares to use ingredients like tomatoes, pumpkin puree, watercress, and green tea ice cubes in her recipes. Make this juiced-up version of a classic strawberry smoothie recipe to recharge your morning and bring back the sunshine. Here is Julie, the superfood queen herself with a few notes... I had a pretty epic summer of smoothies while writing the Superfood Smoothie book. And I have to admit ... the whole fridge was lined with mason jars and I pretty much forgot how to chew. This recipe was born from a late-night musing, and my desire for something completely different. The Strawberry Basil Smoothie surprises you with its creative blend of flavors, utilizing ingredients most often left out of smoothie recipes. And like all things whipped up in my kitchen, it was designed to make you feel and look amazing! Basil gives strawberries a lightly floral accent, but that’s not the real secret here. Instead, say hello to tomatoes! Strawberries and tomatoes share many of the same flavor notes, which is why incorporating the lycopene-rich beauties in this blend is a seamless addition. Lycopene is an antioxidant that protects our cells from damage. It has been shown to prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, macular degeneration, and osteoporis. It may also prevent cancer of the prostate, breast, lung, bladder, ovaries, colon, and pancreas. So try this recipe and see how good being healthy feels!



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