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Last year, I took a business development course and the guru wanted us to find our customer's pain points.  I talked about our Maine Seaweed shampoo bars and how I believed they would appeal to anyone who loved the ocean and is concerned about the plague of plastic.  Our shampoo bars are a plastic free alternative to hair products packed in plastic bottles.  I got a gigantic "pshaw".  

About a week later I was in the grocery debating which peppers to buy.  I wasn't looking at the price as much as the packaging.  I bought my usual only to discover at home that an extra plastic nest had been added.  I thought to myself, "Won't buy these again" and made a purchasing decision based on plastic packaging".  And remember- this was a year ago, I've come a long way and now don't purchase produce wrapped in plastic.

This quick vignette is to illustrate how your hard earned dollars can make a difference.  You can still eat great food, have lovely hair and enjoy an afternoon latte without creating a mountain of waste.  It does take a bit more organization and thought.  And be prepared to move two steps forward and one step back but stay on the plastic free  journey.  Choose an area to go plastic free every month or so.  Master one and pick a new goal.  Buy a few reusable grocery and produce totes. Try a shampoo bars.  Carry around a coffee cup for your afternoon fix.  Head outside to your favorite nature spot and pick up the trash.

Even if you never become completely zero-waste you'll be amazed at how far you can go! 

 Make sure you check "SEE FIRST" under the LIKE tab to tell FaceBook that you want to follow a business page.  If not, chances are you will rarely see any of the cool information a small company has to share.  I've noticed I get news mainly from large companies with lots of money for advertising. 

Social media is like going back to high school and not the happy, carefree days but the days when you wore the wrong jeans, your hair looked funny and you had no idea where to sit for lunch.  

Back in the spring, Dulse & Rugosa had a business goal of building community on our FaceBook business page.  It worked and was so much fun.  We started having these cool interactions with people who liked our page and our products.  We learned their favorite sea critters, how they were doing with reusable shopping bags and so much more.  Each week, our Plastic Free Friday Giveaways were growing and then suddenly it stopped!  We couldn't figure it out.  I would laugh over coffee with a friend and say, "We can't give product away on FaceBook."  

It was so discouraging because in today's world social media is a way to grow your business and reach people who have the same values as you.  People like you who want their hard earned money to do more than simply buy a product.  

It turned out, FaceBook changed the rules- see how easy it is to make a connection to high school.  It's exactly like not getting invited to a cool party.  Unless you specifically tell FaceBook that you like and value a page, chances are you won't see much from them.  Unless they have a huge advertising budget and millions of fans.

It's easy, doesn't cost a cent and the simple act of clicking "see first" will really help a small business grow.

We've all experienced bad hair days but sometimes our bad hair days are more than simply waking up with a bit of bed head.

If you are noticing some changes in your hair that are causing you concern the first thing you need to do is take a few deep breaths.  Stress almost always makes things worse.  So, if you are struggling with a dry, itchy scalp, thinning hair or super dry ends try not to let your mind bully your body.

This is a great opportunity to super charge your diet and add lots of hair healthy foods to your menus.  With our name, Dulse & Rugosa you know we are going to suggest adding seaweeds.  The trace minerals and vitamins found in seaweeds are very beneficial to our bodies.  Maine Coast Sea Vegetables sells seaweed spice sprinkles than you can add on anything- rice, potatoes, pasta and salads.  I get lots of seaweed inspiration from Mara Seaweeds, they always are doing something creative with seaweeds.  Other hair healthy foods include lentils, beans, peas and avocados because they are rich in folic acids.  Foods rich in B vitamins are very beneficial to our hair.   B5 is for flexibility and strength and found in sunflower seeds, avocados and  broccoli.  Your scalp benefits from B6 and beef, fish and poultry are rich in this vitamin.  Eggs are a good source for B12 which is good for cell reproduction in hair, skin and nails.  

As we age we want to increase our intake of Vitamins A, E and C. Add a dark leafy green salad with some citrus sections to your lunch box, it's going to taste good and help your hair stay healthy and thick.

Besides eating good healthy foods it's important to pay attention to your hair care routine.  Air dry whenever possible and try not to do complicated styles until your hair is fully dry.  It's easy to wash and pull back into a ponytail or bun but give your hair a chance to dry first.  Use as natural a product as possible and avoid ammonium lauryl sulphate or sodium lauryl sulphate.  It's important to take the time to read labels.  Our Maine Seaweed shampoo bars are an easy way to use a natural product rich in botanicals to soothe an itchy scalp and tame the frizzies.  

 It's so easy to feel overwhelmed.  It's complicated balancing work, home, kids, finances and _________.  I'm sure you have a few more words to fill in the "what gets me stressed" blank.

Here are a few simple tips to help you manage the stress roller coaster.

Eating and Drinking Good Foods  This one is hard for me, when I get busy I have less time to prepare nutritious meals which ends up leaving me tired, grumpy and more stressed. I recommend Malia Dell's cookbook- Food That Works.  Malia is all about eating healthy, not wasting food and being efficient.

One tip that has helped me is to set aside some kitchen prep time, especially with my salad ingredients.  I eat salad for lunch everyday and instead of daily chopping, I just reach in the fridge for my pre chopped veggies and toss into my lunch container.  It's also important to hydrate, so pack a couple of containers of infused water or herb teas.  The beauty of infused water is.... yep- beauty and that means you want to drink them.  I am warning you though- your co-workers will be jealous especially if you pack your waters in mason or glass jars.  Check out this website  http://www.infusedwaters.com/.  Amy wants to trick her tastebuds into drinking as much water as possible and she has recipes and inspiration to help you do the same.

Manage Your Workload and Take Breaks 

These two tips go together.  Sometimes you just have to say "NO".  It's not always easy but when you have more than you can actually manage, frankly you're set up to fail and that brings on the stress.  When you're involved in a complicated, time sucking project- take some breaks.  My favorite strategy is to set a timer and give myself 15-30 minutes off before I head back.  Often I find I have more energy than if I'd struggled and persevered. 

Get Outside

Make time in your day for nature.
 

Nature is free, everywhere and is meant to be enjoyed.  It doesn't mean you need to get more stressed by planning elaborate trips- take a walk, dig in the garden or simply sit on a park bench.

Harness the Power of Flowers

Have you tried aromatherapy?  

Aromatherapy has been practiced around the world for thousands of years.  It really is the power of smells.  I've found that when I use aromatherapy mindfully and purposefully I can actually help alter negative thought patterns.  Plus it's fun- and a sweet and simple way to give yourself some love.  Our Botanical Essence Oils are designed to bring you stress relief.

Compliment Yourself and Others Everyday

It can be hard to be positive about ourselves but we deserve the best.  Try to say or think something positive to yourself every single day.  This link has a lot of great positive quotes.  Pick one for the week and post on your bathroom mirror- it will make brushing your teeth a lot more fun.  My favorite is "Don't let your mind bully your body."by June Tamoso Wood.  I know I'm guilty of that! 

At Dulse & Rugosa, our little bit of good is to switch our packaging to be as plastic free as possible.  Some of our products have always been there.  Our Maine Seaweed Shampoo bars are simply packaged in tissue paper that is made from recycled paper products.  The "plastic" bags we use for other products are actually biodegradable cellophane bags made from wood cellulose fibers sourced exclusively with sustainable forestry principles.  Our Shower Shots are packaged in these cool non-plastic bags.  They truly are a happy hour for your shower and the happy continues with compostable packaging.   

But the truth is a lot of our packaging has been cheap plastic jars.  There's a reason for this- cheap.  When you're a small business starting out your focus is on getting people to try your products.  There is a BIG difference between eco packaging and plastic in terms of price per container.  Plastic is so much cheaper- I know this because as a consumer I find myself standing in the grocery store comparing the price of items based on their packaging.   We've been going through the same process as a business.

One of the biggest changes we've made is with our popular Island Face Scrub.  Our $5.00 trial packs were packaged in a plastic/foil pouch.  Now they are repackaged in a kraft/plastic pouch combo.
 There still is some plastic but it's a lot less.  The same is true for our larger size.  We've replace the plastic jar and lid with the kraft/plastic pouch.  It's much less packaging and that's good for the environment.

That's our little bit of good.  What's your's?