Some interesting beauty treatments using fruit!

We all love that feeling that we have fresh off the massage table, your nails look perfect, and your hair is set to grace any red carpet....and then you get to the reception desk and look at the price tag for your "me" day...and the tension comes back to your shoulders and you wonder what you just spent $400 on. No fear we've got some helpful tips that will make you feel like you just left the spa, without breaking the bank.

1. Invest in a back and neck massager like this one they often go on sale at Walmart as around Christmas time. It's a one time expense(and sometimes you can find them for like only $100) that you can enjoy everyday! 
2. Eat healthy! We at Fruit Occasions know that when you eat good you feel good! Our Chocolate Sweet Treat arrangement is a perfect treat for one that will leave you feeling satisfied in your mind as well as your waistline. 

Try some of these home beauty treatments, which feature ingredients found at the grocery store! Check it out:
(All photo's and recipes found here)
 Peach Face Mask
Ingredients: 

• 1 peach
• 1 teaspoon of olive oil

Procedure:

Combine the ingredients, apply and leave on face for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water. It is Suitable for all skin types. We recommend using at least once a week for best results.

 Grape Facial mask

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of green grapes
• 1 teaspoon of honey or 1 egg yolk

Procedure:
Apart from being delicious, Grapes are rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins which are necessary to maintain your complexion. Create a mild fruit mask by combining mashed grapes with a few tsp of honey or egg yolk. Before applying, wash your face and make sure that the dirt and chemicals are removed from the pores. Then, apply the mixture and wash it off with tepid water after 10-15 minutes.
 Cream, Oats, Honey, Raspberry, Fruit mask

The raspberries in this fruit mask refresh your skin and give a beautiful, healthy glow.
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup organic Raspberries
• 2 tablespoons Cream
• 2 tablespoons organic Honey
• 2 tablespoons Oatmeal flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Rose or Lavender essential oil

Procedure:
Take some honey in a small glass or metal bowl and immerse it in hot water. Gently warm up the honey until it becomes liquid. Then, create a mixture by adding raspberries, cream, honey and essential oil. Blend it thoroughly and slowly add the oatmeal flour until you get a smooth, sticky paste. Avoiding your eyes spread the paste gently on your clean face and neck. Leave the mask on your face for 30 minutes. Wash it off with warm water and dry your skin with a soft warm wash cloth. End with a splash of cold water and pat your skin with a clean towel. Finally apply a moisturizer and Then wash it off with warm water and a soft warm wash cloth, end with a splash of cold; pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Finally apply a moisturizer which will seal your skin to keep the water inside.

 Tomato Facial mask

Ingredients: 1 tomato 1 tsp of honey Procedure: Make pulp of a tomato and mix it with honey to make a paste. Apply the face pack on your face avoiding eyes and the area around. Rinse it off after 15 min. This serves as a natural bleach for your face and brightens up your face. Let us know these inexpensive yet indulgent treatments work for you!  To order the Chocolate Sweet Treat or any of our delicious arrangements you can order online at www.fruitoccasions.com  or call us at 203-691-1111

A brief history on one of our favorites: the strawberry!

We love strawberries! Whether they are dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut, or plain straight from the field we love them! Our mascot is even a strawberry! Here is a brief and interesting history about the strawberry!

Strawberries(information was found here)

A member of the Rosaceae (Rose) family, the botanical name of strawberries is Frugaria, which in Latin means 'fragrance.' Origins of the common name include the reference to 'straw' used in mulching the plants. Children in London collected the berries, strung them on pieces of straw and sold them in the markets as "Straws of Berries." The French, Italian, and Spanish word for the fruit is "Fraise" or fragrant berry. Narragansett Indians in North America called the fruit "wuttahimneash" or "heart berry." Growers from all over the world claim their strawberries to be the best. In Wepion, Belgium, "The World Capital of Strawberries," they even have a museum dedicated solely to this sumptuous red berry. Folks in Plant City, Florida claim their town to be "The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World." Towns such as Strawberry, Arizona and Strawberry, California chose their namesake for some berry compelling reason. Strawberry Mountain is found in Oregon and Mansikkala, Finland, literally translated means "The Place of the Strawberry." Some of the earliest accounts of strawberries came from ancient Rome circa 200 BC. The first sketch of a strawberry plant was printed in 1484. Early publications spoke of medicinal uses for strawberries, not as edible fruit. In the 12th Century Saint Hildegard von Binger pronounced strawberries unfit to eat because they may have been contaminated by snakes and toads due to the fact that they were grown so close to the ground. In the mid 18th century, Charles Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, put this superstition to rest by switiching to a diet consisting only of strawberries to prove them edible. It was the French who led the way in strawberry cultivation. Cartier, the French explorer, brought strawberries back to France from Quebec in 1534.In 1697 Jean de la Quintinie, the royal gardener at the Palace of Versailles under King Louis XIV, kept the first detailed account of how to develop larger berries, how to prepare the soil and deal with insects. The French King chose strawberries as his favorite fruit and even initiated a poetry contest on the merits of the strawberry. In the 18th Century one of the first breeding crosses were made to improve the strawberry. A Virginia variety with good flavor and fruitfulness was crossed with a Chilean variety and became known as the Pineapple or Pine strawberry due to its distinctive flavor. "Hudson" was the first strawberry hybrid developed in the USA in 1780. And in 1843 Cinncinatti Ohio growers were the first to ship strawberries using refrigeration, in the form of ice placed on top of the boxes. This development led to increase marketing areas and yet more increase in popularity. Strawberries are native to both the northern and southern hemispheres. They are grown in every state in the US, every province in Canada, all over Europe, Australia and even in Iran. They can grow by the sea, in the woods, and on mountain tops. Ideally strawberries are planted outdoors, but in the colder regions of the world, heated glass houses provide a safe growing environment. Commercially grown strawberries, shipped from far locations, although visually stunning, originate from varieties bred for shipping and a longer shelf-life. These varieties tend to have half the sugar content of a traditional June bearer which makes a compelling reason to grow your own. For more on growing strawberries visit our Strawberry Planting and Culturing Guide. How Strawberries Got Their Name(information found here) There are many explanations, some believe that the name came from the practice of placing straw around the growing plants for protection, others believe the name originated over 1000 years ago because of the runners which spread outward from the plant. The name may have been derived from the Anglo-Saxon verb to strew (spread) and the fruit came to be known as streabergen, straberry, streberie, straibery, straubery, and finally, "STRAWBERRY’ to the English. Here is an easy no bake Strawberry Shortcake recipe that is quick and always a hit! In this recipe you can substitute frozen pound cake for a fresh one that you get from the bakery section at the grocery store, or those little sponge cakes they sell where you buy the strawberries! You could also bake off some biscuit dough sprinkled with some sugar and top it with the strawberries and it would be just as yummy! Enjoy!   Easy Strawberry Shortcake Linda Larsen My mother always made this recipe for the Fourth of July. It followed a wonderful meal of grilled hamburgers or steak and her fabulous potato salad1. But it's a great dessert any time of the year. Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Yield: 6 servings Ingredients: 1 loaf frozen pound cake, thawed 3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced 1 cup heavy cream 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Preparation: Using a potato masher, mash half of the strawberries. Stir in the sliced strawberries and chill. Beat cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. Slice pound cake, place each piece on serving plate, top with strawberry mixture and a dollop of cream. Serve immediately. You can make your own pound cake2 instead of using the frozen version if you'd like, but the frozen one (I love Sara Lee) is so good, why bother? (photo and information found here)

Beauty Benefits of Strawberries!

Strawberries aren't just yummy to eat, they are great for your hair and skin as well! These tips are great for a girl's night in or as a quick natural beauty routine before a date! They also work great for people that have skin allergies or sensitive skin issues. Buying organic berries insures that you are getting the very best berries for your inside and outside! Here are the tips:

(tips found here)

By Cait Johnson, author of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air (Skylight Paths, 2003).
Have we ever picked a luscious crop of strawberry beauty tips for you! Those pretty little berries do more than just please our palates: they clear up acne and oiliness, make skin younger and smoother, whiten teeth, reduce under-eye puffiness, leave hair glossy and beautifully conditioned, and so much more!
Find out the secrets of strawberry, right here:

Quickest Strawberry Scrub Ever
Strawberry’s main skin-pleasing ingredient is alpha-hydroxy acid, a great little substance that helps us slough off dead skin cells so that new, youthful skin is revealed. Here’s a ridiculously easy way to get some of strawberry’s benefits in a New York minute: just cut a berry in half, rub it over your face, and let it sit there for a few minutes, then rinse. Instantly softer, smoother skin!

Sweet Strawberry and Cream Mask
This recipe is so delicious–with berries, cream, and honey–that you might be tempted to eat it instead of putting on your face, but give it a try. It will leave your skin so soft and beautiful
INGREDIENTS3-4 medium-sized ripe strawberries
1 tablespoon fresh heavy cream
1 tablespoon organic honey1. Mash the strawberries with the back of a fork or puree them in a blender or food processor. Add the cream and honey to the puree to form a thick mixture.2. Apply to the clean face and neck, avoiding the area around the eyes, and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse off, using bottled or spring water and cotton pads. Variations: Use yogurt with live and active cultures instead of the cream to balance the pH of the skin. You can also use raspberries instead of strawberries. This yogurt/raspberry combination is suitable for sensitive skin, and is less likely to cause minor irritation for anyone allergic to strawberries.



Strawberry Foot Scrub
Feet can use a little help in summer, when sandals expose rough dead skin for all to see. This easy scrub helps slough it all away:
INGREDIENTS
8 strawberries
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons kosher salt
Mix ingredients into a paste, massage well into feet, then rinse and dry.

Puffy Eye Remedy
Just place a few strawberry slices under your eyes and relax for 10 minutes, then remove the slices and moisturize.

Berry Good Acne Remedy
Many of us older women are learning the hard way that you don’t have to be a teen to have acne! But whatever your age, if you get occasional blemishes, this formula is for you:
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon sour cream
Mash well to combine, then apply this mixture to your face and allow to stay for 10 minutes or so. Rinse thoroughly.

Strawberry Mask for Oily Skin
Mix equal parts fresh strawberries and plain unsweetened yogurt, mashing to combine. Apply to face, allowing to stay on for around 10 minutes, Rinse.

Strawberry Tooth-Whitener
Simply rub crushed fresh strawberry pulp directly on your teeth to clean and gently remove stains.

Strawberry Hair Conditioner
If you want glossy, silky hair, this one’s for you:
INGREDIENTS
8 fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Mash ingredients thoroughly and massage into damp hair. Cover with a shower cap and a warm towel. Allow to stay on hair for at least 10 minutes, then shampoo as usual.

All these amazing benefits from a little berry! Check out our Berry Lover™ arrangement for some yummy berries for your inside and outside! Stop by and order yours today:

By Phone: 203-691-1111
Online:www.fruitoccasions.com

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