Raspberry Moon Skin Therapy

A Sassy, Saucy Skincare & Waxing Studio in Greenville, SC

864.271.2710

1211D Laurens Road Greenville, SC 29607

Food

Local and Online Resources While Social Distancing

We provided a list of some resources in our blog post about COVID-19 but since then we’ve heard a lot more great ideas so our intent is to keep updating this blog post with new resources, both local and online, for ways to stay occupied, to learn new things, to teach the kiddos, and help the local community.

For general news and local updates related to the virus, Keller Williams has a Daily Greenville site with all of that information.

If you want to help local businesses in general

The Chocolate Moose in downtown Greenville has started a website called Kill COVID not Small Biz that lets local restaurants and retail shops provide information about current hours, online shopping and/or gift cards, and other ways that the Upstate community can support each business during this time.

If you want to cook more (or better)

Make some homemade pizza while staying home
  • Want to learn to make pasta and yummy Italian Food – Check out https://nonnalive.com/ – this is a paid class but seems like it would be super fun. 
  • Christina at Atlantic Institute posts a lot of things going on in the community – The Turkish ladies did an online cooking class last week and I think they’re going to be doing another one soon.
  • Maybe be creative with your cooking! Use Google or Pinterest and try something different. My friend Angela just did a challenge with her Dave Ramsey group in February to eat everything out of her pantry and freezer without going to the grocery store. She had to get pretty creative and not everything was a huge success but it was a challenge and I thought pretty cool.
  • Michelin-Star Chef Massimo Bottura is live streaming his family dinners on his Instagram account so those who are stuck at home, just like he is, can also enjoy a delicious meal while improving their cooking skills. He’s called the series “Kitchen Quarantine” and is recording in English to reach as many people as possible.

If you want to eat in

So many restaurants are offering delivery and take out. In addition to the list on the Kill COVID Not Small Biz website, here are a few small places you might not know about:

Really just too many to name, maybe go out of your comfort zone and try something new. We are pretty stocked at home so we are cooking away. 

If you want to work out

Yoga Girl

If you miss nature

If you love the arts

  • Logos Theater in Taylors is offering 2 shows online – I love their plays and look forward to watching this at home since my live version was cancelled.
  • Shelter at home with streaming episodes of Austin City Limits. The beacon of live music is opening its archives as a gift to music fans during the current live music moratorium.
  • So now that I have my Hoopla App I can listen to audiobooks (you can also watch movies or TV, listen to music, read comics and Ebooks) from the Library for FREE! Great books I have listened to:
    • The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar (based on historical facts about women that flew planes during WWII)
    • The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (based on a true story)
    • The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (based on a true story)
    • I am starting the Narnia Series now – I needed something lighter after the last 2 books! I loved them but they are on the heavier side. Radium Girls and The Tattooist of Auschwitz were amazing stories about strength, perseverance, survival and happiness. Yes, even happiness was found by many of the Radium Girls and Lalo.

If you have kids to entertain and educate (in addition to above ideas)

My rabbit is enjoying a facial during the Bear Hunt
My rabbit is enjoying a facial during the Bear Hunt
  • Dolly Parton has announced a new weekly video called “Goodnight With Dolly” which will feature Dolly reading a series of Imagination Library children’s books.
  • The author of Pete The Cat goes live at noon on Instagram! I believe it’s every weekday.
  • These virus test kits are something you have to pay for but I thought it was cool to explain what is going on now.
  • Go Bear Hunting – This looks super fun and is based on a Children’s Book.
  • Pull out those old board and card games that may have been collecting dust these last few years as we are always on the run and don’t slow down. 

If you want to tackle your home and yard

A row of flowers

COVID-19 Resources and What We’re Doing at the Moon

Sending cheers with my elderberry syrup
Sending cheers with my elderberry syrup

Good Afternoon Raspberry Moon Fam,

Before we get into the serious stuff, Sláinte is Táinte (“slawn-che iss toin-che”), meaning “health and wealth” in Gaelic!

This St Patty’s Day is a little different than most, but some downtime never stopped the Irish and on St Patty’s Day everyone has a little Irish in them! So Sláinte is Táinte to you and your family. Stay safe and healthy.

I saw this Guinness commercial and really loved it so thought I would share it with you. 

Stay healthy and safe my friends,

Nicole

My Plans at The Moon

Right now, I am planning to stay open and help create a place to rest and take your mind off things. I will continue to wipe down the room after every client and we are wiping down the handles and shop every day. There are diffusers being used with 4 Thieves in most rooms. There is hand sanitizer in the bathroom and in my room.

Please wash your hands a lot! Sing Happy Birthday twice while washing to really clean your hands well.

It is so hard to do this BUT try to stop touching your face, eyes and nose. You don’t realize how much we do this all day!

Please check your appointment time – you receive reminders via email and some clients received texts based on your preference. If you decide you would like to reschedule please do so as soon as possible. 

How Do I Stay Home Yet Stay Sane?

This is going to be a challenge for a lot of people to stay home, keep the kids entertained or not go stir crazy. 

This is a great time to take advantage of reading, playing games, being creative, spending time to just regroup and just resting. Getting proper sleep is one of the best and cheapest things you can do to stay healthy. Your body needs time to regenerate so be sure to go to bed at a decent hour and get up after 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

I mean seriously, how often do you get a chance to just take it easy? I know this all can be scary but let’s see what kind of things you can do to increase your well being and how creative you can be!

Here are some ideas for you to sort of keep things business as usual:

  • If you enjoy yoga, check out Greenville Yoga – they are now doing their classes via Live Streaming and you can pay for classes as you go along. 
  • Do you have a library card? You can download audio books, movies, music, comics, Ebooks, television. 
  • Pull out those old board and card games that may have been collecting dust these last few years as we are always on the run and don’t slow down. 
  • Do home repair projects that you have been putting off! Grab your paint today or any supplies today, make use of your time. 
  • Time to clean out those closets and drawers! https://konmari.com/ or see a Google search for Konmari tricks.
  • Get those garden beds ready for planting! Read ideas on the Clemson Home and Garden website.
  • Maybe be creative with your cooking! Use Google or Pinterest and try something different. My friend Angela just did a challenge with her Dave Ramsey group last month to eat everything out of her pantry and freezer without going to the grocery store. She had to get pretty creative and not everything was a huge success but it was a challenge and I thought pretty cool.

We are pretty stocked here for a while but I am planning to get creative with things we have had for a bit we need to use up and I want to get the freezer cleaned out! 

Of course the Salvadorian LOVES beans! LOL this is what I came home to the other night.

He said when all we have left is beans I don’t get any since I was picking on him about it! (Ummm this doesn’t include the rice, pasta and beans we already had though we would have needed them at some point any how. LOL)

Some COVID-19 Resources

I know everyone has been inundated with Coronavirus information. I have been listening to this MedCram medical Course that is really in layman’s terms. The doctor does a fabulous job explaining things. I do better with this kind of information. I hope this helps you understand more about the disease and what actions to take. 

According to a video I just watched on MedCram here are some things that you can be doing to help keep others in the community safe:

  1. Get a Thermographer – know for sure if you have a fever! A fever is 100.4 F or 38.0 C
  2. If you have a fever – DON’T GO to the hospital UNLESS you need to. Your signs to know if you should go to the hospital include: Shortness of Breath, Severe Cough, Sleepiness.
  3. DON’T HOARD MASKS – Regular surgical masks don’t prevent you from getting Coronavirus! The surgical masks are used in the hospital to help prevent a SICK person from spreading disease! The N95 masks are NEEDED for Hospital workers. If they are not able to get supplies then they are more at risk and we need all of the hospital staff to stay healthy so they can do their job and take care of those who get sick!
  4. CALL BEFORE you go to the hospital! If you show severe signs such as shortness of breath, chest pain or are super sleepy then you should go to the hospital. 

There is just tons of good info on the MedCram site so just go check it out. The course is free and easy to understand, but you might need to create a free account first to view.

10 Things You Can Do to Manage Your Health at Home

if you have possible or confirmed COVID-19

Graphic courtesy of the CDC website.

If you’re not sure what products to use to clean and sanitize, the EPA website has a comprehensive list of cleaning agents that are effective against the virus. (Clorox and other familiar cleaning products are listed starting about page 5.)

Fifteen Days to Slow the Spread

These are new guidelines put out by the White House and CDC yesterday (3/16/2020):

  1. Listen to and follow the directions of your state and local authorities.
  2. If you feel sick, stay home. Do not go to work. Contact your medical provider.
  3. If your children are sick, keep them at home. Contact your medical provider.
  4. If someone in your household has tested positive for the Coronavirus, keep the entire household at home.
  5. If you are an older American, stay home and away from other people.
  6. If you are a person with a serious underlying health condition—such as a significant heart or lung problem—stay home and away from other people.

These guidelines build on the CDC’s general recommendations to help prevent spread of the virus. Americans should continue practicing strict personal hygiene, including washing hands regularly for at least 20 seconds at a time and wiping down surfaces in the home often.

Even if you are young and otherwise healthy, you are at risk—and your activities can increase the risk of contracting the Coronavirus for others. Everyone can do their part.

Please stay safe and healthy out there!

Lychees from A to Z

Lychees are a yummy fruit grown on the islands of Hawaii. When we were in Hawaii last month we didn’t get to do a tour that was just about lychee but we did see a few trees that were full of beautiful fruit. It’s summer so it’s the perfect time to enjoy these little bursts of flavor.

Lychees on the tree
Lychees on the tree in Hawaii

Growing Lychees

Lychee/Litchi is a tropical fruit native to low elevation lands of China, Taiwan, South East Asia and of course Hawaii. The little clusters are usually oval or round and grow on a slow-growing, medium-sized evergreen tree. They are covered with a red-colored, rough-textured, easily removable rind. Inside is a sweet translucent ball of yumminess but it has a seed that you for sure don’t want to bite into. 

According to Kaye Family Farms in Hawaii, lychee can be grown in almost any type of soil from sea level to 2000 ft elevation. They love well drained, acidic soil. They also love humidity in the summer for the fruit and cold in the winter for the flowers. Hawaii has so many microclimates that picking the right area to grow lychees is very important. It does make me think they should grow well in South Carolina but I think maybe the frost is what would kill them? Maybe we will give it a try.

Lychee in Skincare

Some of the benefits of lychee in skincare are a great source of skin-friendly nutrients like thiamin, niacin, and copper. Thiamin assists the body in metabolizing fats and protein for healthy skin. Niacin boosts the hydration levels in the skin while copper, in small quantities, helps to speed up the healing of damaged skin. All these benefits make lychee a super fruit for your skin.

Lychees are extremely juicy and helps keep the body hydrated. Of course this means healthy, hydrated skin. There is no chance of dehydration when you consume this fruit.

The Health Benefits of Lychee

According to Top Food Facts, lychee also have the following health benefits:

  1. All the rich fibers helps maintain digestive health. It helps to keep the stomach clear of harmful toxins, and prevents the problems of constipation. It also has the ability to cleanse the colon. Furthermore, the lychee is a natural diuretic, and helps relieve pain caused due to kidney stones.
  2. The high vitamin C content in it makes this fruit extremely beneficial for our bone and skin health. Moreover, it strengthens the body’s immune system, and the ability to fight different types of disease.
  3. Lychee fruit extract is great for those looking to lose weight around the abdomen, and for those who aim to improve their metabolism. 
  4. Supposedly it helps against potential heart attacks. It clears out blood clots and keeps the cells healthy.
  5. It contains fatty acids that are essential in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. This means, it aids the digestion of other healthy foods.
  6. Lastly, instead of opting for a cola, or a cup of coffee, or a sugary treat for an energy boost, try having a couple of lychees and see the difference it makes to your overall energy levels.

Lychee is an amazing source of Vitamin C. It provides about 72 mg of this vitamin per 100 grams! It is a great source of potassium, calcium and magnesium.

Eating Lychees

How do you eat these little guys? Peel and eat of course, or add them to a fruit salad, or enjoy it with ice cream. Top a cake with pieces of fresh lychee.

You can even add it to flavor your stir fried vegetables. It’s like having the best of both worlds! I think I need to eat a ton of these! 

And of course you can enjoy it in a facial treatment with our Pineapple Lychee Facial!

For more information:

Interesting facts about Lychee fruit

Bright Pink and Delicious – Aloha from Maui Series

DragonfruitMondays adventure in Lahaina was to the Maui Dragon Fruit Farm, which is the largest one here on Maui! Mom was on the fence about going because she says dragon fruit doesn’t have much flavor and I would’ve had to agree. The only times I have had it there wasn’t much flavor but I think they are a beautiful fruit and I wanted to check out the farm since they have 16 different varieties. I am so glad that we did!

Us with our guide Lewis

The staff had a lovely platter of fresh fruit for us to try before our tour as well as some locally made jam that is so delicious. Our tour guide was Lewis, who has only been on island for 3 weeks. He is a surfer from the Northern part of Cali who used to teach 5-to-10-year-olds how to surf. Mom and I could both see him doing this and being a great teacher. Lewis has a very kind spirit and you can instantly like him. Of course Mom had to mother him about being sure he is prepared for the future and her normal stuff, which he took in stride.

A ripening dragonfruit

I can tell you the fresh Dragon Fruit we had in Maui was nothing like other ones we have tried before.

The work that goes into growing these fruits is very labor intensive and Maui Fruit Farms is a totally organic farm. The flowers are hand pollinated at night from 9pm until around midnight. There is only a small window for pollination. They do have bees that help to pollinate but they are usually out during the day and you can’t rely on them solely.

Dragonfruit flower awaiting pollinationAfter hand pollination, the fruit is ready in about 45 days. It will turn a lovely shade of pink and be soft to the touch.

They use a Chinese method of planting vertically (the Chinese have had a heavy influence here in Hawaii but more about that later). The plants are grown on these vertical cement type poles to allow support and easier picking. Fruit is just starting to be ready and in another week or so it will be like mad with pollinating and harvesting. The largest threat to the fruit are birds so there are these soft white mesh bags that are placed around the fruit so the birds won’t mess with it.

Dragonfruit growth support

The farm also grows some pineapple, passion fruit, cacao, bananas and papaya, long ones we are used to seeing and then these round ones that are called strawberry papaya. They also have a zipline and this water ball thing that basically you are in a big bubble and you roll down the hill inside the ball. Makes me seasick just thinking about it.

The flowers on the farm are beautiful be sure to check out Raspberry Moon Facebook or Instagram for some more pictures.

Flower at the dragonfruit farm

Maui Pineapple – So Delicious!

June 27 is National Pineapple Day!

Our first tour here in Maui was at the Maui Pineapple Company and Distillery! I would highly recommend this tour. Mom and I had a great time. The last time I had fresh pineapple was in Okinawa in 2002. After the tour you get a FREE pineapple per person so we have been eating a lot of fresh pineapple. Nothing compares to fresh pineapple or fresh fruits and veggies in general.

Maui Pineapple Company and Distillery Tour
Steve – Our Tour Guide

Maui Gold Pineapple is the only pineapple grove left in Hawaii. This was so interesting to see the farming process and to understand what all takes place to eat some of this delicious fruit. The best part of course is tasting the pineapple picked right before your eyes!

Pineapple Trivia

Here are some interesting bits of info we learned on our tour:

Pineapples are actually a composite fruit made up of berries that grow at the crown of the fruiting tree (more like a shrub).

Pineapples have a lot of great health benefits. For more information on their health benefits, check out http://pineapplemaui.com/pineappleshop/nutrition/

Baby pineapples at the Maui Gold plantation
Baby Pineapple just blooming

Generally they do not have a problem with pests or birds eating plants but deer have been an issue. The deer were introduced to the island in the 1950s. The deer love to eat the leaves of the baby pineapple which stunts the pineapple’s growth.

There are no hummingbirds here in Hawaii and they don’t want any. Hummingbirds would pollinate the pineapple causing seeds and would totally change the pineapple. They replant simply by using the spiky top of the pineapple once it is twisted off from the fruit. Costa Rica has a lot of hummingbirds and their pineapple has seeds.

The Pineapple Harvest

Once you plant the spiky top of the pineapple, it takes 2 years to harvest the first crop. They harvest 2 more crops with each crop becoming smaller in size and then they will turn everything under, let it go to grass and replenish the soil before they plant again.

New pineapple plantings

Most of the workers are older and come from the Philippines. This is very hard work, they can make up to $40/hour if they plant about 6,000 plants a day. Everything is paid by the piece. There is an art to this planting and everything is done by hand from planting to harvesting with only a small amount of automation used with transporting and parts of packaging.

Harvesting Pineapples

Until WWII pineapple was all planted, harvested, and shipped via hand and animals. After the War the Army left a lot of vehicles behind; the Hawaiians used those vehicles to mechanize the farms. Although planting and harvesting itself is still done by hand, packing, shipping and soil prepping is done by machine.

Pineapples ready for shipping at Maui Gold
Shipments all ready to go!

Maui Gold Pineapple are harvest into four categories:

  • Hawaiian Consumption – Has more yellow color
  • Mainland Export to LA and Seattle- has some yellow but mostly green
  • Distilleries – solid gold
  • Cattle – pineapples not acceptable for human consumption or distillation

Pineapple ready to harvest at Maui Gold

Did you know that when you buy a pineapple from the store that it will not ripen any further once it has been picked? It is best to just eat it when you buy it as you don’t know how long it has been traveling. You can flick the pineapple with your thumb and if you hear a more hollow sound, that is the better option. You should twist off the crown, turn it upside down, place it in the refrigerator for 1 day and let all of the juices flow to the top of the pineapple. This way the sugar flows through the whole pineapple. This is what our guide suggested for the Maui Gold so I am assuming standard protocol for all pineapples. You should eat the pineapple within a day or so.

For more tips on picking the right pineapple, cutting and even how to grow your own, check out http://pineapplemaui.com/pineappleshop/tips-facts/

At Maui Gold they use Ozone water to rinse the fruit and start it on its packaging journey. Once the pineapple is immersed in the water it turns yellow. If any fruit sinks, it means it has bad spots and goes in the cattle consumption pile. They use a vegetable wax to seal the fruit and then it is packed based on size. You will have 5,6 or 7 box categories which basically just means you can fit 5 pineapple, 6 or 7 in a box. This is all done by hand.Pineapples packed for shipping

Maui Gold is working to reduce waste and only has about 4% waste. They actually have their own distillation so be sure to do the spirits tour with the pineapple tour, the Maui Winery that makes pineapple wine (I can’t wait for this tour at the end of the week! so stay tuned for that post) and with a cattle company to feed sheep and cows. Some crowns and fruit go to Oahu for planting or fruit slices. Maui Gold Pineapples were basically saved because if they would lose the pineapples from Maui they would lose their line of spirits made with Maui Pineapple. Sometimes a company just needs new leadership to sustain itself.

Maui Gold limits its shipping to Hawaii or the West Coast, they ship to LA and Seattle. They want to leave it on the plant as long as possible and not compromise its quality by shipping too far. But never fear, if you want to try some amazing Maui Pineapple, you can order it directly from Maui Gold Pineapple. 

If you are coming to Maui be sure to make this a stop on your tour. We did this right after we landed so we had time to eat the pineapple but you can always do it on your way home as the Maui Pineapple boxes don’t count towards your carry on!

Sleep Better Series – Eat Right to Sleep Right

This post is part of a series on sleep based on a Face & Body Southeast Spa Expo and Conference presentation given by Trish Greene of Balnea Spa Products.

Spicy Food can keep you up at nightRead the previous posts in this series:

Sleep Better Series – What’s the Big Deal?

Sleep Better Series – The Basics

Sleep Better Series – The Effect of Light on Sleep

Smart Food Choices = Better Sleep

So following this series on sleep here are some things we can do to help our sleep patterns with food.

  • Eat 3 nutritious meals a day.
  • Have a slice of turkey or chicken, or a banana before heading to bed. These foods contain tryptophan, an amino acid that’s used to make serotonin. And serotonin is a brain chemical that helps you sleep.
  • Carbohydrates help tryptophan enter the brain. Try a glass of warm milk (milk contains tryptophan) and a cookie, or warm milk with a spoonful of honey.
  • Eliminate or restrict stimulants such as caffeine.
  • Avoid big meals late in the evening. You need three to four hours to digest a big meal.
  • Spicy or sugary food, even at suppertime, is usually a bad idea. Spices can irritate your stomach, and when it tosses and turns, so will you. Having a lot of sugary food, especially chocolate which contains caffeine, can make you feel jumpy.
  • Avoid alcohol. It interferes with Melatonin levels. It may help you fall asleep but it also causes you to wake up in the middle of the night.
  • A handful of granola can be a good bedtime snack.
  • Trish didn’t mention a herbal tea but that can also help.

Somehow I need to figure out how to eat dinner 3 to 4 hours before I go to bed at 10 pm. And on salsa nights that schedule just gets out of whack!

Our next post in this series will talk about natural remedies for sleep.

 

This information was given by Trish Greene of Balnea Spa Products. She is a Board Certified Aromatherapist, Dr of Homeopathy and a Cidesco trained Esthetician. She practices in Canada and has been an Eve Taylor rep for 25 years.

All the crazy legalize stuff I need to say. Consult your physician before taking anything suggested in this informational piece. I am not a Doctor, I am simply sharing the interesting information that I learned at a recent class. Do anything at your own risk, use common sense, and try to get some healthy sleep. No one is responsible for the choices you make except for yourself. None of us are responsible for anything you choose to do on your own accord.