Activated Charcoal Soap from 23 Soap Company

The kid has sensitive skin and has been dealing with bouts of eczema on and off over the past four or five years. Luckily, his skin usually clears up quickly.

However, in December he had another flare up, and that flare up did not clear up like the ones in the past. We used prescription medicine but didn’t get the results we had in the past.

Activated Charcoal Soap to Improve Eczema

In early March we had finished shopping at the Campbell Farmers’ Market and saw a sign from 23 Soap Company that mentioned that its activated charcoal soap may be beneficial for individuals with eczema and other skin conditions. At that point, we had another appointment scheduled with the kid’s dermatologist as we really didn’t want to use the prescription medicine long-term and were ready to try about anything.  



I literally thought: “Well, what do we have to lose? We may as well try it.” And so we did. The kid used the soap that night in the bathtub, and after his bath his skin was less red and the rash seemed improved, too. We thought that the improvements were probably our imagination… But his skin continued to improve every day until it was completely clear in about three weeks. It was truly like magic.

As a bonus, the soap is pretty, smells really good, and comes beautifully packaged. Andy likes the fact that the soap dries well and doesn’t get “mushy” like typical bar soaps.



I know that everyone’s skin (and especially eczema) is different, so I can only report on our results. But since the kid’s results were so amazing, I thought I had to share our experience. To learn more about 23 Soap Company, their story, what’s in the soap and information on how to purchase it, visit the 23 Soap Company website. I thought the name of the company was interesting as it is a reminder that our skin can absorb material into our bloodstream in as little as 23 seconds! What you put on your skin really matters!

Linking up with: Sweet Inspiration, Thursday Favorite Things

Questions: Have you ever heard of activated charcoal soap? If so, have you ever used it? What was your experience? 

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclaimer: As always, all opinions are my own, and I bought the 23 Soap Company soap with my own money and received no compensation to write this post.]

Black and White Outfit

Black and White: Classic Combo

Black and white is such a classic combo, and I reach for it often when I don’t know what to wear.

(Outfit details: Cardigan: similar; Knit dress: similar; black/white flats: similar; black/white necklace: similar; pink Coach bag: similar)

I got the black knit dress about six years ago on “super sale” at Anthropologie. It’s one of the pieces in my closet that I don’t wear all that often, but when I bring it out, I enjoy it. I love how the bottom of it moves when I walk. 

I decided to wear the dress with black and white by pairing it with black leggings, my black/white cardigan, my black/white Adam Lippes for Target flats, and my black and white necklace from Black House White Market. To add just a little bit of color, I decided to carry my new(ish) Coach bag. 

Black and White Necklace

I got the black and white necklace about seven years ago at Black House White Market. I remember it being on sale. But, more importantly, I remember instantly liking it. I like the classic look of white pearls with the bigger black, irregular stones. To me it’s classic yet unique, and I like that!



I have worn the necklace with countless outfits over the years. It’s often one of the necklaces I take on trips as it works well with neutral outfits, which is what I tend to pack when traveling. It adds just a bit of interest to an all (or almost all) black outfit. I have worn it with my black and white maxi skirt and a variety of colorful tops. I have worn it with (almost) all white outfits. The list goes on and on.

(Outfit details: Cardigan: similar; Knit dress: similar; black/white flats: similar; black/white necklace: similar; pink Coach bag: similar)

Questions: Do you like black and white outfits? What’s your go-to outfit when you don’t know what to wear? 

Linking up with:
Sweet Inspiration
Monday: iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday: Thursday Moda, Top of the World, Powers the Flower, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sheela Writes, Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

11th Annual Uncorked Wine Festival at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco

We love visiting Ghirardelli Square when we are in San Francisco. Its location right on the water - just a short walk from Fisherman’s Wharf or Fort Mason - makes it the ideal spot to stop and enjoy yourself. There are great views of the Bay, restaurants, the famous Ghirardelli chocolate shop where chocolate is made right in front of your eyes (and which has great ice cream sundaes!), unique shops, a bakery, a wine tasting room - an overall great place to hang out! Plus, there is even free street parking nearby! Unheard of in San Francisco!

Local readers have an additional reason on May 7, 2016 to visit Ghirardelli Square because the 11th Annual Uncorked Wine Festival takes place from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. 
 

Uncorked will feature wines from 50 Northern California wineries. There will also be craft beer, and Lagunitas Brewing Company will kick off their Ghirardelli Square Summer beer garden, which will start Memorial Day Weekend. In addition, festival goers can enjoy live music, food from Off The Grid, and a large craft fair by PopUpsters.

Uncorked is family-friendly, and general admission tickets are $60 (VIP tickets are $90). Tickets include a souvenir wine glass and unlimited tastings. A portion of the proceeds will go to Bay Area Green Tours, a non-profit that strives to provide experiences and events that demonstrate sustainable economy and inspire environmental responsibility.

We look forward to attending Uncorked and tasting, learning about and experiencing Northern California wines and enjoying beautiful Ghirardelli Square.

Question: Have you ever visited Ghirardelli Square? If so, how did you like it?

Be well,
Andrea

Desigual Coat

I got this white Desigual coat as a birthday gift from my sister about four years ago. To be honest, I had totally forgotten about it as it was hiding in the back of my “overflow closet” (basically I stole half of the kid’s closet; but it’s the half that’s very difficult to access...). So when I wrote the post about my Desigual dress, I didn’t even remember I had this coat... 

 
My birthday is at the very end of summer and somehow I didn’t feel like wearing it when I first got the coat as I was in a fall-clothes mood. And every year since, I have forgotten about the coat until it’s too warm for it. I think I honestly have worn it twice since I got it!  

 
And of course on the day I had planned to wear it (on a visit to Wente Vineyards in Livermore; that’s where we took the photos) it rained! I briefly debated wearing something else but then decided to wear it anyway, and I’m glad I did as the fun coat brightened up a dreary day!

 

Bold Statement Coat

I really like the coat; it’s definitely not an everyday coat as it truly stands out, but it’s a nice bold statement piece that adds some fun to my wardrobe; I’m determined to wear it more!


Desigual has some lovely coats and jackets in its collection. Here is a white Desigual coat with a less bold (than my coat) embroidered circle pattern. And here is another white Desigual coat with stripes.

I also carried my new Coach bag that I bought at the Pismo Outlets over spring break. Here are other small Coach bags in soft pinks that I love: One, Two, Three

Questions: Do you have a statement coat? 

Linking up with:
Monday: iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Waywow, Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday: Thursday Moda, Top of the World, Powers the Flower, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Fancy Friday, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday

Be well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

Floral Pants

Pattern Mixing

After seeing a lot of pattern mixing on Instagram and blogs last year, I really started to like it, but it took me a while to do it myself. One of my first attempts at pattern mixing was very similar to the outfit I’m wearing here (with different shoes and a necklace).

Last fall, I had recently “found” my floral pants on the bottom of my casual pants drawer. I had had the pants for about five years but hadn’t worn them in a couple of years. In the past, I had only worn them with a white blouse, but I wasn’t crazy about the look. By looking at what was in my closet, I decided that my polka dot blouse would go with the pants. I like the subtle pattern mixing, which was completely out of my comfort zone at the time.

Last time I wore the outfit, I wore a blue necklace. Since I am currently in love with bandanas/neck scarves, I added a bright orange neck scarf to the outfit this time. I like that there is a bit more pattern mixing going on because of the pattern on the bandana (hard to see in the photos). I also like the bright pop of color near my face.



Since it was a bit cool, I also added my denim jacket, which I seem to be wearing nonstop lately...




We found the fun mural on the side wall of a restaurant in downtown Pismo Beach during our recent California Central Coast visit. The kid decided to have some fun with it, too!



Floral pants I love: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six
Denim jackets I love: One, Two, Three
Polka dot blouses I love: One, Two, Three
Bandanas/neck scarves I love: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

Questions: Do you like pattern mixing? Do you like florals? And more specifically, do you like or own floral pants? What have you recently “found” in your closet? 

Linking up with:
40+Style
Monday: iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: , Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday: Thursday Moda, Top of the World, Powers the Flower, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Sheela Writes, Fancy Friday, Weekly Favorites, Fabulous Friday, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday

Be Well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: Links to clothing items in this post are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may benefit from actions taken on the links.]

5 Fun Places to Visit on the California Central Coast

We got to spend Spring Break in Avila Beach. Avila Beach is about a 10 - 15 minute drive from downtown San Luis Obispo, and it’s one of our favorite places to relax and recharge.

Avila Beach

Avila Beach is a small town, with a cute little downtown area. There are numerous unique shops as well as several wine tasting rooms. Plus, there is a nice beach. While you won’t be able to walk for miles on the beach, the unique location of Avila Beach within San Luis Bay often results in slightly warmer weather than other beaches on the Central Coast. It’s also a great place for kids to play with a couple playgrounds right by the beach.

Port San Luis

One of our favorite activities while in Avila Beach is walking from downtown Avila to Port San Luis. The views of the beach during the walk are always so calming. On the pier are two fish markets, and we love getting fresh, local fish and cooking it ourselves along with some veggies.

Bob Jones Trail 

The Bob Jones Trail leads from Ontario Road (parallel to Highway 101) to downtown Avila Beach. The 3-mile mostly paved trail is ideal for family outings as you can walk it, ride your bike, or roller blade. Part of the trail is in the shade, but do make sure to protect yourself from the sun as you’ll walk in the sun for part of it.

Morro Bay 

Morro Rock in Morro Bay is impressive and worth a visit. There are numerous restaurants with fresh, delicious seafood as well as a number of shops with unique clothes and other merchandise. Plus, the beach is amazing as you can walk up and down it for hours. It’s also the perfect place to find sand dollars, shells, and pretty rocks. You also have numerous options to go on fishing or whale watching boat trips.

Breweries on the Central Coast

BarrelHouse Brewing Company in Paso Robles 

Central Coast Brewing in San Luis Obispo 

The Libertine Brewing Company in Morro Bay

No trip is complete without some beer for Andy. On our recent trip, we visited three breweries. All were kid- (and it seemed pet-) friendly and had good beer. There are numerous breweries on the Central Coast, and our visits were determined by location and opening hours. But we would definitely go back to each one. On our way from the Bay Area to Avila Beach, we stopped at BarrelHouse Brewing Company in Paso Robles. It’s a fairly new brewery with a beautiful tasting room and plenty of seating outside. Andy loves sour beers, and on the day we visited there was one sour on tap. It was very enjoyable and so were all the other beers we tasted. In San Luis Obispo we visited Central Coast Brewing. I love their fun collection of beer bottles from all over the world. There is limited seating available inside as well as barstool seating outside. Central Coast Brewing has quite a varied selection of beers on tap and we enjoyed what we tasted. Finally, on our way back home we stopped at The Libertine Brewing Company in Morro Bay. It’s a funky place that specializes in sours. If you sit by the window, you have a fabulous view of Morro Rock.

It was really nice to get away for spring break, relax, enjoy nature and spend time together. It was our first family vacation since my dad suffered a major stroke right before spring break last year, and we are very grateful that he is doing much better.

In other news, the fabulous Sylvia from 40+ Style recently interviewed me for her style interview series. If you want to learn a bit more about me, you can read my style interview here.

Linking up with: Sweet Inspiration, Thursday Favorite Thing

Question: Where is your favorite place to relax? 

Be well,
Andrea

5 Ways to Wear a Bandana or Neckerchief

A few weeks ago, I ordered a pack of assorted bananas/neckerchiefs on amazon. And I have been obsessed with them every since. I like that they are a nice alternative to necklaces and scarves. Here are a few of the ways I have worn them.

Pink Neckerchief with Grey and White Stripes

 

 

Turquoise Neckerchief with Black and White Striped Tee

 

 

Yellow Neckerchief with Polka Dot Blouse 

 

White and Black Neckerchief with Black Tunic

 

 

Red Neckerchief with Red and White Striped Tee, Grey Sweater & Jeans Jacket

 

Question: What clothing item and/or accessory are you currently obsessed with? My neckerchief obsession is still going strong and I’m currently contemplating adding several more…

Linking up with:
Monday: iwillwearwhatilike, Style Nudge, VisibleMonday
Tuesday: Confident Twosday, TurningHeads
Wednesday: Thursday Moda, Style Me Wednesday, Fresh Fashion Forum, Style Perspectives
Thursday: Reasons to Dress, My Refined Style, Top of the World, Powers the Flower, A Labour of Life, Throwback Thursday, Thursday Fashion Files, Thursday Favorite Things
Friday: Weekly Favorites, Fabulous Friday, Sheela Writes, Weekend Wear, Passion for Fashion, Fridays Fashions, Fun Fashion Friday

Be Well,
Andrea

[Disclosure: The links the bandanas/neckerchiefs on amazon.com are affiliate links, and www.andreaswellnessnotes.com may earn a small commissions on actions taken on the links.]