The Cool Peppermint flavor is both natural and refreshing. The flavor reminds me of my own home-grown mint plants. The Spearmint Ice flavor is also great. Both flavors are very similar to common gum flavors, so whichever flavor of gum one likes is likely the flavor of Wicked Fresh one would prefer. My personal favorite is the Cool Peppermint.

Whereas most other toothpastes I’ve tried have an extremely strong taste that fades away quickly, the Wicked Fresh toothpastes have a milder, more natural flavor that, in my opinion, lasts longer. My conclusion: the Wicked Fresh toothpastes have what it takes to appease even an adamant gum-chewer like myself. The only thing I might change is to add teeth-whitening ability to this toothpaste (for that I would try Tom’s Clean & Gentle Care with Whitening). Over I both like and recommend this long-lasting toothpaste. You can find Wicked Fresh here.

Image from: Tom’s of Maine

Keys to making these strong pieces work:

• Keep the rest of your look classy and understated
• Minimal jewelry will keep the focus on the lace
• Pants, dress, or skirt all work with the lace jacket
• Either colored or black heels and a little clutch complete the outfit

Donnie Darko Dress from Modcloth

Odette Lace Crop Jacket from Lulu's

• Thrift or check your parents’ closets
• Pair with leggings, shorts, skinny jeans, or skirts
• Avoid the Scottish look (no long plaid skirts in Tartan print)
• Avoid the school-girl look (no pleated skirts or knee-socks)
• Avoid the angsty grunge look (wash your hair)
• Try belting or altering oversized plaid tops
• Plaid tanks and dresses are cute, too!

Recycle, Reuse, Reinvent!

Before heading off to the store to buy the latest plaid craze, check your parent’s or older sibling’s closet. There may be shirts that survived the 90’s plaid grunge phase just waiting for you.

Secondly, thrift! Browse both the women’s and men’s sections of thrift stores and Goodwill for plaid patterns you like. If plaid top you like is too large, you can either work the “oversized” look (try belting or pair with skinny jeans/leggings), or, if you’re handy with a sewing machine, alter the top to suit your frame.

If none of these avenues of thrifting the plaid look work for you, then almost every store has plenty of plaid in stock just waiting for you. For a deal, check Marshall’s or department stores like JC Penny. For overpriced but unique prints and colors, check Urban Outfitters.

What to wear:

Even with my busy schedule of running to class, heading off to work, and hitting the trails on my bicycle, Tom’s of Maine has a lasting, nice scent throughout the day. My favorite scent is Mountain Spring. All of the scents are unisex, smelling equally great on both me and my unwilling male test subject.

Here’s what I love about Tom’s of Maine’s natural deodorants:

• 100% natural
• Smells great
• Works for both guys and girls
• Long-lasting
• Goes on smooth and clear
• No aluminum, parabens, or PG
• No artificial or animal ingredients
• Cruelty-free
• Package contains 40% recycled plastic!

I once tried an aluminum-free deodorant made from cotton which, indeed, felt as scratchy as cotton. The Tom’s of Maine deodorant feels smooth and goes on clear, which is a major plus in the natural-deodorant category of products.

In addition to being a natural product, Tom’s of Maine’s deodorant is eco-friendly: the packaging contains 40% recycled plastic, the product contains no artificial or animal ingredients, and it was not tested on animals.

You can pick up your new natural deodorant at your local grocery store (check in the natural foods/products section), or you can order directly from Tom’s of Maine’s website.

http://www.tomsofmaine.com/

This is the real Lebanese Tabouli which you will notice has little Bulgur in it. There are two kinds of Bulgur: fine or coarse, and for Tabouli we use fine. You can find fine Bulgur in Lebanese/Middle Eastern grocery stores. Lebanese like to eat their Tabouli with crisp hearts of romaine lettuce. It’s so refreshing, especially on a hot summer day! Try mixing the salt and pepper with the chopped onions before adding them to the other ingredients; it brings out the sweet juice of the onion.

Serves: 6 people

INGREDIENTS

• 3 bunches finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2-3 tablespoons fine bulgur
• 1 chopped firm tomato
• 1/2 onion or 2 scallions chopped
• 1/2 cup extra Virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cayyene pepper (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Prepare the chopped parsley and mint and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix Bulgur, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions/scallions with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add to them the parsley and mint and olive oil and mix, adjusting seasoning by adding more oil and lemon if desired.
3. Serve cold garnished with romaine lettuce.

Invite friends and family over to enjoy your easy-to-make Lebanese dish!

Tabouli image from: www.themedgrill.com
Tabouli recipe from: www.epicurious.com

Here is a recipe for spanakopita as used by Kevin at Closet Cooking:

Ingredients:
1 pound spinach
5 ounces feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 cup dill (chopped)
3 green onions (chopped)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
phyllo dough (thawed over night in the fridge)

Directions:
1. Steam the spinach until it wilts.
2. Run the spinach under cold water to stop the cooking process.
3. Squeeze the spinach and drain.
4. Mix the spinach, feta, dill, green onions, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
5. Brush the bottom of an 8×8 inch baking pan with olive oil.
6. Brush the top of a sheet of phyllo dough with olive oil and place it in the pan. (You may have to cut the phyllo dough to fit the pan.)
7. Repeat until you have 6-8 layers depending on how thick you want the crust.
8. Place the spinach mixture on top of the phyllo dough.
9. Brush the top of a sheet of phyllo dough with olive oil and place it on the spinach.
10. Repeat until you have 6-8 layers depending on how thick you want the crust.
11. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown on top, about 30-50 minutes.

Enjoy!

Here are additional links for the rice and sauce recipes:
Spanakorizo (Greek Spinach Rice)
Tsatsiki/Tzatziki Sauce

Here is one of the incredibly chic furniture transformations and storage solutions I spotted on the French website Marie Claire Maison.

The red curtains on the left successfully transform a bookshelf (minus shelves) into an extra closet or wardrobe. This extra closet is a brilliant idea for apartment dwellers or renters.

A suspension rod inside of the bookcase serves as a closet rod.

For the curtain: if you have a nook space, you can place the suspension rod outside of the shelf.

If no nook exists, nail a curtain rod to the outside of the bookshelf or put the suspension rod inside of the shelf (see bottom left).

Ways to wear bright shorts and pants this summer:

• Spice up a plain-white tee
• Go tonal with shirt and accessories in varying
  shades of the same color
• Balance tight or short shorts with a billowy top
• Channel a retro feel with a peasant blouse
• Top bright shorts with cardigans, blazers, or
  athletic jackets depending on your mood: all
  look great!
• Just try not to look too grade-school with candy
  colored shorts by avoiding pigtails and daisy-print shirts

You can make bright shorts your summer statement piece. Colors vary from pastel to bright to neon.

I can’t wait to try this delicious-sounding soup for myself. I enjoy cooking with carrots; just this week I’ve sauteed carrots two different ways as well as served them raw with dinner. This vegan-friendly recipe gives new life to everyday carrots.

Recipe from Vegan Village

This makes a thick, creamy and tasty vegan soup. Our favourite!

Ingredients

25g/1oz vegan marg
500g/1lb carrots, sliced
1 medium potato, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
900ml/1½ pints water
1 tsp ground coriander
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
generous handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped (about 2 tbsp)

Method

Melt the vegan marg in a pan, add the carrots, potato, onion, celery and garlic and cook gently for 10 mins.

Add the ground coriander, sugar and water and season to taste. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the carrots are tender. Cool slightly.

Add the fresh coriander (including the stalks), reserving a few leaves for decoration. Whizz in a food processor until smooth. Add a little more water to loosen, if required, decorate the soup with coriander leaves and serve.