Top 10 reasons why reusable totes are beneficial:

1. Each reusable grocery bag has the potential to eliminate 1,000 plastic bags the average family uses in one year.  One single person will reduce about 156 plastic bags in one year by using just one tote.(considering they may forget their tote once in a while).
2. Most grocery stores offer discounts on each tote that is used to purchase your groceries, offering a credit of 5-10 cents for every bag used, depending on the location and store. 
3. The Convenience Factor: It may be convenient to just have the checkout bagger put your groceries in a bag that the store supplies, however the use of a reusable tote is just as convenient, if not more, and will positively effect the environment.  An Envirosax Tote is more durable, holds more groceries, is reusable and also washable.  This in turn creates less bags breaking while carrying your food items and less trips from the car to the kitchen.
4. About 100 billion plastic bags are used each year in the US alone, requiring an estimated 12 million barrels of oil used for their manufacturing.
5. Plastic bags are detrimental to our wildlife.  100,00 whales, sea turtles, dolphins and other marine life die every year directly caused by the disposal of plastic bags.  This is due to the 3.8 million tons of plastic bags that end up in landfills or incinerators every year in the US.  Only 1% of plastic bags are recycled every year. 
6. Plastic bags do not fully deteriorate.  They decompose in a process called photodegrade (which takes anywhere from 500 to 1,000 years since sunlight and UV rays are needed in this process).  This process breaks the plastic bags down into smaller and smaller toxic particles which end up contaminating soil and water. 
7. 500 billion plastic bags are consumed worldwide ever year, which is a million a minute.  Manufacturing 10 plastic bags creates 5.5 kilograms of air pollution, which equals 2.75 trillion kilograms of air pollution worldwide every year. 
8. Most people will think that paper bags are better, this is not true.  About 14 million trees are cut down each year to supply America alone with paper bags.  The production of paper bags is just as harmful to the environment and to us as the production of plastic bags that grocery stores use.  It requires toxic chemicals like sulfurous acid (which can lead to acid rain and water pollution) and requires hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to manufacture the paper bags used every year by Americans. 
9. The chemicals and dyes that are used in plastic grocery bags contain cadmium, lead and other toxins that will leach into the environment during their use.  Envirosax graphic bags use inks and dyes that are eco-friendly and do not contain carcinogenic amides, while the bamboo and linen totes are printed with soy inks.
10. Envirosax reusable totes are very affordable.  Ranging from $8.00 for a durable, polyester bag to $25.00 for organic bamboo and organic linen, create your own collection of colors and styles for a personal grocery experience.

  Tips for Smooth Summer Skin

Rain Collection has opened its Vault of Secrets to share with you our tips on smooth skin for Summer.  Everyone wants that radiant, silky smooth skin for summer and we will tell you how you can accomplish this by sharing our secrets with you.

Secret #1. Foot Scrub:  With Winter and Spring out of the picture, we strap on our designer sandals and let our feet finally breathe the fresh air.  Before we can do this, we must prep those puppies for Summer.  The First step to great Summer skin starts at your feet.  Scrub off the roughness of Winter boots and Spring flats with an exfoliating foot paste followed by a hydrating foot butter.

-We recommend the Fruits & Passion Foot Care Exfoliating Paste followed by the Fruits & Passion Foot Care Repairing Butter for baby soft feet you’ll want to show off!  The exfoliating paste contains willow bark extract that will deeply exfoliate, while the repairing butter uses sunflower ceramides and shea butter to regenerate and soften your skin.

Secret #2.  Exfoliate your body: After months of fashionable layers and soft cuddly sweaters, your skin needs a deep cleansing. Over the Winter the natural oils and dead skin cells build up, clogging your pores and making your skin look dryer and duller than it actually is.  For the best results, lather the exfoliant in a circular motion on your body, then rinse it off.  The circular motion will help you execute a deeper cleaning so your pores may open up once again to experience the fresh Summer air. Try to use an exfoliant 2-3 times a week to maintain unclogged pores and smooth skin.

-We recommend the Cote Bastide Milk Body Exfoliant for a deep pore cleansing  with a scent of sweet Summer.  Milk is a traditional beauty treatment for the skin.

Secret #3. Hydrate your skin:  The minute you step out of the shower and dry off, your skin needs to be hydrated.  A light lotion is perfect for summer to help lock in the moisture.  Try to use a lotion or moisturizer that has a simple clean scent that you can not get enough of.  Using a lotion with a scent you love will help keep you habitually utilizing it.  Apply your moisturizer twice a day to get the skin you’ve always wanted.  Too much moisturizing will clog your pores - not enough will keep your skin looking dry. We suggest moisturizing once in the morning and once at night.  

-We recommend the Acca Kappa White Moss Body Lotion, which contains lemon extract for toning and provitamin B-5 which softens the skin. If you’re on the go most of the summer, the Acca Kappa White Moss Hand Cream is the perfect size to take with you while you’re out and about enjoying the Summer sun.

Secret #4. UV protection:  Wearing sunscreen is one of the oldest, and most effective beauty secrets to keeping smooth, younger looking skin. If your skin is not protected, the harsh UV rays will cause sun damage and wrinkles, instead of soft, smooth skin.  Apply half an hour before going out in the sun and reapply every two hours after that.  We also suggest wearing a floppy hat with sunglasses to help keep the sun away from the sensitive skin on your face.  Your lips, which most forget about, need protection from the sun just as much as the rest of your body.  A lip balm with SPF protection will work wonders.

-We recommend the Tocca Stella Towelette SPF30+ which fit right into your wallet, purse or clutch for an instant SPF application - no pre-application required. With these travel-sized sunscreen towelettes, no matter where you are you will have protection from the sun.  For those luscious summertime lips, Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm with SPF 25 will keep your lips protected from UV rays and lock in the moisture. 

Our secrets are out! - Scrub off the Winter, lock in the moisture of Summer and stay protected from the sun to achieve and maintain soft, silky and smooth Summer skin that you can smile about.

Chilewich placemats come in a variety of patterns, with Rain Collection introducing two new collections designed in great vibrant colors, perfect for those outdoor festivities.  Made from woven vinyl, these placemats are durable and easily washable; just throw them in the dishwater at the end of the party for a quick clean up!

Chilewich Colorblock Placemats available in Clover, Cloud or Surf

Chilewich Seaglass Placemats available in Mediterranean Blue, Natural, or Frost

With such a great assortment, feel free to experiment.  I love the idea of mixing the Clover Colorblock and Frost Seaglass Placemats for an eclectic, contemporary vibe.  Who says you have to select just one!

From July 2nd through July 5th save on select summer fun items at Rain Collection.  You may view these sale items here.

Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!

“Double Happiness was started in August, 2001 by Stephanie Wells and her sister, Alisa Rottenberg.

The literal meaning of “Double Happiness” is marriage in Chinese culture. In our world, it’s a type of karmic chain reaction. It also represents the two sisters who started the line.

All Double Happiness jewelry pieces are designed by Stephanie Wells and manufactured by hand in her Southern California studio. Inspired by her travels abroad, aesthetics from past time periods, her daily life, etc.every season she finds new inspirations for her line. Although the inspiration and collections change, her style and technique remain distinctly her own.

Through beautiful aesthetics combined with the insider’s knowledge to the fashion industry, Double Happiness continues to grow and evolve as an important player in today’s design world.” 

-Double Happiness Design

Here are my top four favorite products from Rain Collection:

A wish list is a very useful tool in today’s fast pace, tech savvy world.  I find that it not only helps your dear ones to peer into the world that is ‘you’, but it also helps as a reference tool for yourself.  Once I add to my wish list, I can return to that item and all the others I had my eye on, without spending too much time trying to find it again.

You may view my entire wish list under ‘Find a Wish List‘.

It’s possible that Amanda Sterett’s eye for detail and design is a trait carried within her genes. She is quick to recognize family members responsible for cultivating her sense of style. Her father is a sculptor, painter, and a remodeling designer. Her mother owned a popular children’s clothing boutique. But it was her grandmother’s jewelry collection that inspired the foundation of her jewelry business.

Amanda prides herself on ‘cherry-picking’ the best stones for her work from all parts of the world. All stone is natural and either precious or semi-precious. All metal used in the making is either 14K gold-filled or sterling silver materials. In addition, all jewelry is handmade in her studio in Dallas, Texas.

Check out Amanda Sterett at Rain Collection and see for yourself why we are so in love!