Good things do come in small packages.

They're Here

The music is ringing in our ears.

It's Holiday time. No matter what you celebrate, this is the time of year that there never seems to be enough hours in the day, the traffic seems extra slow, and down time for a little relaxing and rejuvenating seems to pass us by without a second glance.

Make sure to stay aboard the wagon! There's no need to fall off the clean and healthy wagon just because there happens to be more tempting treats, more late night events, and more shopping (oh, but this could be therapy, right?!) to do. 

Having a little excursion here and there while trying different foods or enjoying late nights never hurt anyone, but keeping your healthy habits, and keeping your health first, has its rewards. As we get closer to the time when the healthy resolutions are made, why not just make the change without having a starting date or a finishing date? It's about the little things that we do day-in and day-out that make up the big picture. It's a change in lifestyle. 

Daily favorites, health routines, and a peek inside my bag.

"What's your favorite workout? What's your favorite mascara? What type of makeup do you like?"

These are questions that come up over and over again via email through our e-boutique and from our customers that stop in to shop in our Skin Studio. Kimberly, of kimberlyloc, a lifestyle & natural beauty blog, recently asked as well. From time to time, she reaches out to founders of beauty brands to pick their brains and peek into their arsenal of favorite beauty blisses. I'm thrilled and humbled to answer. Additionally, I can tell you that for me, 'healthy' doesn't only include the products that I use, but the routines that I keep, the sleep that I get, as well as who and what I fill my space (and my head!) with. 

We make choices every day; choosing to love what we use, and also to use what we love ... well, this is where the magic happens.

Green beauty and good skincare is more than just fabulous, well curated and expertly applied makeup. It's comprised of the actions we take, the food we eat and the thoughts that we think. Great skincare, which is not just about a product, can offer wonderful results without that clinical look or feel. Using safe, effective treatments should make us happy, feel good, and keep our minds at ease ~ no matter what holiday it is.

It's all about the day-to-day habits that affect the big picture and those little details. Stress, sleep, food, work, our environment, hormones - everything around us can affect us, which in turn, can affect our skin. 

Here are the lovely details, as well as links, brands, and where to get them, of my favorite makeup brands, supplements that I use, sites for the daily yoga practice that I practice (practice makes possible, definitely not perfect!), and books and things to settle the mind at the end of the day. Special thanks to Kimberly for asking and for the nudge to share. Take a peek at the morning, afternoon and evening routines, the products that are in my makeup bag, some favorite reads, snacks, and how to get charged-up to start the day.

Morning Routine - details here

Afternoon Pick-Me-Ups - details here

Evening Routine - details here

Are there side effects to taking care of ourselves? You bet - and the beautiful side effects will be written all over our healthy, smiling faces. Practicing self-care is not vain or a luxury, it's a necessity.

Animal Free, Cruelty Free, and a Bit 'Cheeky'

Taking it to the next level ~ in the middle of the woods. 

Alicia Silverstone is an actress, NY Times best selling author, green beauty proponent, PETA supporter, and she also happens to be a friend of Qet. You may have read Alicia's interview with Fox News Magazine where she mentions Qet as one of her favorite serums. 

For the record, we are a company that not only practices sustainable methods, but we steer clear of any animal testing on any of our ingredients we use, are cruelty free in our lab, and all of our products are plant based and vegan, with the exception of our Honey Cream Mask with Manuka - however, some consider honey to be vegan. Alicia recently participated in an ad for PETA that is eye opening. 

With so many thousands of healing, plant-power elements and alternatives to animal products, we can find exactly what we need growing from rich soils. We use no bird or poultry parts, horse hormones, liquids extracted from animal reproductive areas, bee venoms, reptile parts, and there is no skin scraping or cell removal from various creatures. Just 100% plant power. Period.

Take it or leave it, but we love this ad that Alicia did for PETA. Knowing that she's used Qet, we think you'll agree... don't you think her cheeks look very soft? Yes, it's the benefit of using our serums on various complexions.

You've already taken a peek at the ad. Here is the article found in The Huffington Post. 

Our Favorite Things

How can we choose just a few of our favorite things for a Holiday special? Because we love them all, we can't. 

What we will do is offer a special Qet Holiday Shopping Spree on everything that we custom blend, fill, bottle, label, shrink-wrap, and share ... which is everything! Ho-ho-hee!

For a limited time, from December 9th through December 19th, SAVE 15% on everything in our e-boutique and in our Skin Studio. Enter the code QETSPREE to get your savings. Would you like us to ship something for you? No problem, just add that to the shipping address and we'll send it for you. We can include a gift message as well. 

Please notice our holiday hours: We are a family business and will be closed December 24th through January 2nd. Our Lab, Skin Studio, and Shipping Department will observe these holiday hours.

Looking Back

Year 1: Sow

Year 2: Grow

Year 3: Show

This is the rule of thumb when you add beautiful plants and textures to your yard or garden. This is also the rule of thumb when it comes to growing a sustainable business. Since we're in the botanical and plant arena, it makes perfect sense that our business is growing just as a newly planted garden does. We are finishing our third season, and this is when the real beauty starts to show itself. Taking a look at the relationships that we've established in the past year, it is in these areas where we've been able to impact others and help to make a difference. In addition to building personal relationships, as a business, these are some of the businesses/achievements we've been involved with this past year: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Green Business | Green America Certified, No Kill Animal Shelter, Girls on the Run, American Cancer Society, Earth Day Beauty Award Recipient, and we're proud to be a part of the EWG Verified program. We've also shared some of our products with green beauty enthusiasts across the pond in both directions, and we've been honored to share some Qet in this month's Deluxe Think Dirty Holiday Limited Edition Beauty Box. Hooray! 

Looking Ahead

If you're in the Madison area, we'll be presenting and will have a pop-up shop at the Well Expo at the beautiful Monona Terrace on the lake. We're delighted to be presenting on stage and sharing a bit about getting the glow into the new year, how to prevent skin from becoming dry during the winter months, and how to avoid dull and tired looking skin, even if we are tired from all of the Holiday hub-ub. 

Stay tuned for a two-minute "Buzzed Into Madison" television feature that goes into the Qet Botanicals lab and Skin Studio. It will be aired locally several times throughout the month of December, and we'll share it with you when we receive the link, in case you want to know exactly where your favorite products come from. 

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things."  

The Sound of Music

Find your favorite things, and find your happiness. One usually follows the other.

Healthy Holidays,

~ Lisa