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I first discovered the power of seaweed while looking for a solution to my chronically itchy scalp.  I struggled with my scalp since my high school days and honestly tried everything.  Doctors, medicated shampoo and just about every lotion and potion under the sun and nothing really worked until seaweed.  I've been using our Maine Seaweed Shampoo Bars for over four years.  I'm so happy with my hair and scalp.  I occasionally do get an itchy scalp, usually at the end of a long, hard market day my scalp will itch on the drive home.  It's seems to be stress related and sorts itself out after a walk and a good night's sleep.

My daughter Carly struggled with breakouts long after her teenage years.  We tried everything and nothing seems to give lasting relief.  Again it was seaweed to the rescue.  She formulated our Seaweed and Roses scrub originally to help her keep her face calm.  While I don't struggle with breakouts I find once or twice a week my face loves this gentle exfoliant and I always treat myself after a stressful day.  I've even given my whole body a lovely detoxing scrub after a long day of travel.  Puts me "right as rain".

A few years ago I went through a painful divorce.  I noticed that I bottled up my stress but eventually it needed to get out and I would get weird rash patches- often on my neck or little finger.  Soaking either in the tub or simply by layering moist seaweed on the affected areas really helps.  This technique was especially helpful last summer when my former husband and I were both out on tiny Gotts Island at the same time.  Talk about stress!  The first thing I did when I got home was open a pack of Seaweed for Stress and get it soaking. soak  Once it was hydrated I plastered it on my stress rash, poured a glass of wine and put on some Netflix.  

Seaweed is consider a "superfood", rich in nutrients and especially beneficial to our health and well being.  Seaweed happens to be one of the most nutrient rich organisms on Earth.  Seaweeds get their nutrients from their leaves not roots like land plants and the nutrients come from sea water not soil.  This means seaweeds have a super concentration of trace elements- far more than plants grown in soil.  This helps seaweed be both soothing and nourishing in keeping our skin calm and happy. 

I first saw this story on Sunday, a day I was planning on enjoying and it weighed heavy on my soul.  In general, with our business Dulse & Rugosa I try to focus on the positive.  I believe little steps make a difference.  I know we are all flawed- that we are human.  However at some point we just have to say enough!

A young sperm whale washed up on a Spanish beach.  He was a teenager with his whole life ahead of him.  The average age for a sperm whale is 70 years.  He suffered from gastric shock because he had consumed 64 pounds of plastic.  Let that sink in for just a minute- 64 pounds of plastic.  

An autopsy was conducted by Murcia’s El Valle Wildlife Rescue Centre, which documented the contents of the whales' stomach.  Inside were the usual suspects including plastic bags, ropes, nets and even a plastic bucket.  I bet that whale also ingested a large quantity of tiny pieces of plastic- because that's what plastic does- breaks down into littler and littler bits.  

I walk the beach almost everyday with my dog.  And every day I pick up the usual suspects including lots and lots of convenience food containers.  All those take away coffee cup, plastic bottle filled with water, yummy cool drink complete with matching straw are slowly and agonizing killing off all living creatures- including eventually humans.

What can we do?  First, each and every month make a pledge to give up one type of plastic.  Water bottles and shopping bags are an easy start.  Next, get involved with our elected officials.  Vote for candidates who respect and honor the environment.  Finally, start picking up trash.  Picking up all the garbage we leave behind is the best antidote to this sad death of a young whale.

Here the article link-

article- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/06/sperm-whale-killed-plastic-pollution-washes-spanish-coast/

Seaweed has so many benefits and Maine seaweed in my humble opinion is simply the best.  We're lucky in the Pine Tree State to have cold, mineral rich water where seaweeds can flourish.  Maine happens to be number one in the country for seaweed production and Maine seaweeds are valued worldwide.  Seaweed is “the new kale" rich in vitamins and minerals.  Seaweeds are large marine algae and there are three types.  Browns are large seaweeds like kelp.  Green think sea lettuce and Red- Nori and Irish Moss. 

There are so many ways to enjoy seaweed- eating, drinking, for your skin, for your pets and on your garden.  Our oceans depend on flourishing seaweeds as seaweed provides food and homes for marine life and keeps our oceans balanced and thriving. 

 Seaweed is also good for our Maine economy.  Maine has many seaweed companies some quite large and other small, indies businesses.  Supporting these businesses supports Maine and helps ensure that seaweeds and our ocean's bounty are preserved for future generations. 

it's easy to find info on Maine seaweeds.  The best place to start is the Maine Seaweed Council.  The council was formed in 1993 to protect both livelihood and ecosystems.  Members come from all over the state and from all walks of life including harvesters, farmers, researchers, businesses large and small.  It's a great resource for folks interested in seaweed as a business and also for anyone who simply wants to identify, cook or support seaweed based businesses. 

Another great resource is the Maine Seaweed Exchange.  The mission of the Exchange is to connect buyers and sellers of organic aqua-cultured seaweeds.  They have some amazing events planned for the summer including The Practical Seaweed Farmer Conference & Fair  which will be held on July 27-28, 2018 in Rockland, ME. Enjoy a full day of seaweed farming know-how followed by a joyous celebration of all things seaweed.  

Another event Dulse & Rugosa is excited about is the Maine Seaweed Fair- a celebration of all things seaweed.  This is a great opportunity to meet sea folk who are living, working and inspired by the ocean.  The festival is at Snow Marine Park in Rockland, ME on July 28th.  

Finally if you want help with identification, how to harvest and info about recreational harvesting check out the Maine Seafood Guide by Maine Sea Grant with the goal of making marine science accessible for Maine people.

I hope this blog inspires you to explore the wonderful world of Maine seaweeds.

We've joined the March Meet the Maker Movement created by English entrepreneur Joanne Hawker.  It's a chance to tell our 2018 business story, make some connections, build some social media skills and have fun.

The challenge is very well designed and 2018 is the third year.  She like many creative entrepreneurs was in the social media/creativity rut.  A tough place to be!  She started a month long challenge to show the different aspects of her business and asked others to join. 

At Dulse & Rugosa we split the business jobs.  Carly's is the actual maker.  She starts by growing many of our botanicals and harvesting seaweed.  She also makes by hand all our products.  Then she wraps and packages everything.

Claire goes to markets, builds wholesale accounts, mails orders and is responsible for social media.  At times social media feels like "speaking to the winds"-one of our favorite quotes by Gott Island author Ruth Moore. There are so many mornings when social media posting causes stress and makes me late.  

Joanne has taken care of "posting stress" with a series of prompts.  The prompts tell the story of your business.  

Thank you Joanne and we can't wait to join others in building our creative community.  Here's the link to Meet the Maker -

https://www.marchmeetthemaker.com

                              Carly and her Maine Man are getting married!  

Planning any celebratory event means compromises, and weddings are no exception.  It can be especially challenging if you want your event to be zero or low waste.

Our general advice is to do the best you can, don't be too hard on yourself for mistakes and remember every action- no matter how small is better than nothing. 

When thinking about a special occasion outfit it's important to think long term.  Whatever you decide to wear you should feel beautiful and comfortable.  Look for a style that is timeless and has room for body changes.  You know a year or two later- you might have gained or lost a few pounds.  You want that outfit to still look and feel good.

I have a dress I bought years ago.  I wore it often to fancy work events.  I could change the look with jewelry.  And I don't think it's necessary to always have a new outfit.  The dress is lovely but the design is quite simple.  I also use it for Halloween as it made a great "Evil Queen" when I was a primary teacher.  Now with a few quick changes I can rock a mermaid at my October markets.  It's comfortable enough to set up and sell and that's important because you want to get milage out of an outfit.

For Carly's wedding because we both like to sew we originally thought of making a dress.  We spent hours looking a fabric and patterns but honestly I was a bit worried about the actual sewing.  I love to sew but my skills are a bit random.  Last June, we were at the Old Port Festival in downtown Portland, ME and around the corner was an Anthropologie.  This brought back some sweet memories.

Many years ago, Carly was a science teacher in Texas and I worked overseas.  I was visiting her and she told me she found the "perfect wedding dress" at Anthropologie.  It was such a beautiful dress and it was on sale.  We actually debated whether  she should buy it.  At the time she was single without a significant other and wondering what to do with her life.  We decided it was a bit premature.

During the market we joked about going in and seeing if this shop had her wedding dress- and they did.  She wanted something simple that was easy to embellish.    Another important factor was the dress needed to be useful after the wedding.  Neither one of us wanted to spend money on a single occasion dress.

Her dress has a bit of Marilyn Monroe flare which is perfect for her figure.  She is busy embroidery a circle that she can attach to the dress.  The only problem is- it's white.  That's the traditional color for wedding dresses but so easy to stain.  I figure she has two choices, she can dye it after the wedding to make it a soft neutral but not white color.  Or every time it gets a stain add a bit of pizzaz with a piece of embroidery.

Some tips for a sustainable special occasion outfit-

Buy something that makes you look and feel beautiful

Look for a style that allows for body changes, gaining or loosing weight.

Shop thrift, resell or vintage either locally or online.

Support an indie business and hire someone to make a one of a kind outfit.

Make your own.

What are your tips for finding the perfect wannabe wasteless outfit?