Refuse to be Dumbed-Down | Detox | Teatime with Jennifer

Today's Teatime with Jennifer discusses a very important subject in our modern society: refusing to be dumbed-down.



"Dumbing down is the deliberate oversimplification of intellectual content in education, literature, and cinema, news, video games and culture."

Today's video focuses on how we can detox from popular culture like television, sports and music and the impact that our conscious choices make in our life. I'm bringing on my husband, Ben, as a special guest. We have a lot to say on the subject. I hope you join us for today's Teatime discussion and contribute with your point of view in the comment section. (Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog!)

Mentioned in today's video: The New York Times article which shares that the average American adult watches more than 5 hours of television a day.

Also mentioned in today's video, 10 benefits to listening to classical music. I mention my song of the summer, Adagio by Albinoni. Check out this rendition by cellist, Hauser, on YouTube. It gives me hope that this performance has seen over 15 million views.

I love listening to books on Audible.com Audible is a subscription service that gives you access to the world's best audio books. Did you know The Madame Chic books are on audible.com?

Right now I'm listening to Mayflower, by Nathaniel Philbrick. I highly recommend this book!

I hope you enjoy the discussion in today's video. Please let us know what you think about all of the topics discussed. I love to hear from you.

News
Lessons from Madame Chic is now available in Mongolia! Thank you to the Mongolian readers who have shared picture of their book on social media.



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For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On the Ten-Item Wardrobe eCourse, Terri writes, "Jennifer, thank you so much for this course. Your books and vlog have improved my life in so many ways! I'm struggling to create my Ten-Item Wardrobe but with your help I've cleaned out my closet and discovered my personal style."

Terri, I loved reading your testimonial. Please update us and let us know how your ten-item wardrobe is coming along.

On Instagram
The newly released Lessons from Madame Chic in Thailand from We Learn...

A post shared by @praenara on Aug 1, 2018 at 8:27am PDT

Comment of the Week
Regarding last week's Mapp and Lucia book club, Josephine writes, "Thank you for recommending these books. I thought the books were very entertaining and thought provoking about psychology of human behavior and nature. Personally I loved the character of Miss Mapp because she was clever in practical ways. Lucia was more polished socially but her vanity was off putting to me. I also enjoyed your commentary. I think you have brought up a good point when you mentioned when Lucia was upset she turned to practicing piano. I took it a little bit further and thought of our children how it is important to offer kids classical education where they can learn to play an instrument or paint so in their distress they have a great way to express and distract themselves. Your point of formal way to address someone is great too. I took it little bit personal and thought of my own husband and kids. When we talk and use formal manners everyone slows down , has time to react but not overreact. Our manners convey respect for each other. Thank you for doing this video. I really enjoyed it."

Hello Josephine, I enjoyed your insights into the books and commentary. Thank you for joining me for the book club and I hope you will continue with us for the next installment.

Thank you for us for today's video. I would love to hear from you. What do you think about the dumbing down of society? Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.


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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Bend Soap Co. Review | Goat Milk Beauty Products | Natural Home with Jennifer

In today's Natural Home with Jennifer, I am highlighting a wonderful family business, Bend Soap Co.

Based in Bend, Oregon, this marvelous small business produces high-quality, 100% natural body products made from fresh goat milk (from their own goats!).







100% natural, their goat milk soap cleans and moisturizes beautifully. I love the soap! It's perfect for sensitive skin. Bend also created their soap to help their son who had eczema. The soap is very versatile (see Bend's description below). I was intrigued that the goat milk soap can be used as a shampoo, so I tried it last week. It cleans the hair very well. It certainly does not have the same texture as a traditional shampoo, but my hair and scalp felt very clean.

Here's what Bend has to say about their goat milk soap:
It’s Handcrafted: Not all goat milk soap is created equally! Here at Bend Soap Company, we only use fresh goat’s milk (from our very own goats!) and natural, non-GMO oils to make our soap from scratch. This makes it the very best!

It's 100% Natural: Your skin is your body’s largest organ and it needs certain nutrients to look great and perform at its best. Studies show approximately 60% of what you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream which is why we only use all-natural ingredients — no dyes, harsh chemicals, parabens, alcohols, fillers, artificial fragrances, GMO ingredients, synthetic preservatives… No JUNK!

It’s Moisturizing: Whether you live in a dry climate or suffer from skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, each bar of our goat milk soap cleanses and refreshes dry, damaged skin while also helping to maintain your skin’s natural moisture.

It’s Nourishing: Found naturally inside goat’s milk, alpha hydroxy acids slough away dead skins cells with ease, allowing the blend of rich oils added to our bars of goat milk soap to sink into your skin and nourish the new skin cells below. The end result is skin that looks and feels younger.

It’s a Multi-Use Product: One single bar of goat milk soap can safely and effectively be used as an all-natural replacement for body wash, face wash, shampoo, bubble bath, and shaving cream. Hop in the shower, lather up, and rinse away — it’s that easy! For maximum benefits, use in the shower alongside our sugar scrub and seal in the moisture with our goat milk lotion.




I requested the milk bath specifically to try from Bend. I love milk baths and always have. The shaved goat's milk soap that comprises this delightful milk bath is very moisturizing. The lavender scent is wonderful and natural.

Here's what Bend has to say about the milk bath:
Milk baths are great for your skin, but who has, or can afford raw, fresh, raw milk? Instead, draw yourself a relaxing bath using our milk bath — the milk bather’s economical choice that’s a relaxing treat for the body and senses!

Each container of our all-natural milk bath contains curls of our goat milk soap which quickly dissolve when added to a warm bath, turning the water a beautiful milky white color and infusing the tub with alpha hydroxy acids which are naturally found inside goat’s milk. As the curls of goat milk soap dissolve, the milk bath gets to work while you soak, releasing the delightful aroma and therapeutic qualities of essential oils and leaving your skin soft, supple, rejuvenated, and moisturized. The perfect self-care treat for both men and women, even just one soak in our all-natural milk bath will let your mind unwind while making your skin look and feel it’s best.

Our milk baths are perfect for adults and can also be used as an all-natural bubble bath replacement for the kids!



Molly from Bend Soap Co. mentioned that the honey grapefruit sugar scrub was one of her favorites. It is the nicest sugar scrub I've ever used. The high-quality sugar exfoliates the skin and the oils moisturize deeply. You do not need to wear a lotion after using the sugar scrub, as the moisture lasts all day.

Here's what Bend says about their sugar scrub:
It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman, when it comes to keeping your skin in tip-top shape, exfoliation isn’t something to skimp out on! Exfoliating the skin allows you to scrub away dead skin cell buildup on the body, revealing newer, younger looking skin. Here at Bend Soap Company, we handcraft each batch of our sugar scrub using a limited number of all-natural ingredients that work with your body.



The goat's milk lotion in the Island Coconut scent is absolutely delightful. The lotion is rich and moisturizing, not greasy. Here is part of the description from Bend Soap:

When we say “all-natural lotion,” we really mean it. No alcohols, dyes, parabens, phthalates, synthetic preservatives, artificial fragrances, GMO ingredients (including corn or soy oils), or other chemical components will ever be found in our lotions. It’s also 100% biodegradable, hypoallergenic, and gluten free.

Here’s what you WILL find inside our goat milk lotion: water, goat's milk, shea butter, rice bran oil, vegetable source natural emulsifying wax, palm stearic acid, aloe vera, vegetable glycerin, natural and organic scents, silver dihydrogen citrate, potassium sorbate, and citric acid (natural preservatives).


Thank you to Bend Soap Co. for sending me their wonderful products to review on Natural Home with Jennifer. They gave me a special discount code for Daily Connoisseur readers: Get 10% off your first order by entering the code DC10 at checkout.

I hope you enjoyed today's video! Thank you for joining me on the blog this week. I'll see you on Monday.



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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. Bend Soap Co. sent the products for me to review. This post contains affiliate links.

Comparing YSL & L'Oreal Burgundy Mascaras | Jennifer L. Scott

The readers of The Daily Connoisseur give me the best recommendations. A few years ago, a reader suggested I try the YSL Faux Cils mascara in burgundy. It was love at first use and that has been my favorite mascara ever since. The only thing I don't love about the YSL mascara is the price. The mascara generally sells anywhere between $27 and $32. When I visit Sephora, I usually purchase two of them, and that carries a hefty price tag.



I was really excited when I heard from a few readers recently that L'Oreal put out their own burgundy mascara, with a much more affordable price tag. In today's video, I'm comparing the two mascaras and give you my thoughts. Does the L'Oreal mascara make a good dupe for the YSL? Find out in today's video.

I applied the L'Oreal Voluminous Primer Mascara first. This step really helps to make the mascara last and appear thicker on the lashes.



Then I applied the L'Oreal Paris Voluminous mascara in deep burgundy.



I compare this duo with my favorite YSL Faux Cils mascara in burgundy, which is an excellent mascara, but also very pricey.



After comparing the two, I am very impressed with the L'Oreal version. I wore the two mascaras on a very hot day when I spent a lot of time outside and neither one of them crumbled or smeared. For anyone looking for a more affordable alternative to the YSL mascara, this makes an excellent dupe.

I hope you enjoy today's video.

News
For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On the Ten-Item Wardrobe eCourse, Kathryn S. writes, "Dear Jennifer,
Thank you for being a great inspiration to me. As a fairly new wife and less than a year into motherhood, your advice has helped anchor my household in many ways including how to be a good steward of a thoughtful, well put together closet.
All the best"

Thank you, Kathryn! I'm so pleased you enjoyed the course!

On Instagram
Lessons from Madame Chic on Instagram...

I should say that I love most of the topic that written in this #lessonsfrommadamechic #book and I do like lots of nice quotes here. But here's what I pick for today, it's about cultivate your mind. There is so much to learn -new languages, new instruments, new skills. It doesn't matter how old you are. You are never too old to learn -Jennifer L. Scott

A post shared by Fauziah Hafidha (@fauziah_hafidha) on Oct 13, 2017 at 6:08pm PDT

Comment of the Week
Angela B. writes, "I have a Bachelor's degree in Communication and a Master's in Business and can tell you how important it is to have this discussion. The use of social media is more often times than not, a form of communication that people use to "frame" their lives in such a way they appear to be more ____________________ than what they really are. Fill in the blank - well off, well traveled, successful at parenting, educated, well liked, admired for their looks, etc. - when in fact, they are no better than anyone else. Bottom line - the beauty of our lives lies in the journey, the successes AND failures, the joys AND the sorrows, the triumphs AND the struggles - it is our ability to recognize that value and treasure each and every moment that results in true happiness and contentment. Each journey is unique and above all valuable...joy should come not in having others applaud yours, but in lifting others up and cheering them on through the difficult times."

Hi Angela, I really enjoyed your perspective on last week's social media video. I couldn't agree more!

Thank you for joining me today. I would love to know if you've tried L'Oreal's mascara. Have you heard of any other burgundy mascaras on the market? Let us know and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur.

Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Mapp and Lucia Book Club LIVE

Hello dear readers,

Thank you for joining me for the next installment of the Mapp and Lucia book club. We had so much to get to and I had a wonderful time chatting about the next two books in the series, Lucia in London and Mapp and Lucia. I apologize that this livestream was plagued with technical difficulties again. We had trouble with audio as well as picture (I look quite squashed and blurry), but overall we did get to chat about both of the books. I hope you enjoy the discussion in today's video. I promise to work on my livestreaming skills and will hopefully improve them for next time! :)



The video of the Live Chat is above. If you were unable to make it live, you can simply watch the chat here or on YouTube. I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your additional comments on all of the points that were made.



As we close the next section of the book club, I would love to know... Who is your favorite character in the series? Who is the most despicable? What was your favorite part in each book? What were your least favorite parts? Let us know in the comment section, and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur.

We will continue the book club with the next two (and final) books in the series, Worshipful Lucia and Trouble for Lucia.



I will give you plenty of time to read the next two books and will most likely discuss them in the new year. Until then... *Au Reservoir!*

News

Lessons from Madame Chic is now available in Thailand from We Learn! See my Instagram post below. Thank you to all of the Thai readers who have reached out to me and shared picture of their books on social media. Use the hashtag #jenniferlscott when sharing your book so I can find you.

For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.


On Instagram
From my own Instagram page... Welcome to Thailand!

Lessons from Madame Chic is now available in Thailand 🇹🇭 from We Learn. Thai readers, I would love to see pictures of your book! Use the hashtag #jenniferlscott so we can find you. #dailyconnoisseur #MADAMECHIC #lessonsfrommadamechic #thaimadamechic #welearn

A post shared by Jennifer L. Scott (@dailyconnoisseur) on Aug 1, 2018 at 7:49am PDT

Comment of the Week
Comment of the Week comes from Rani, who writes,
"Hi Jennifer,

I am a newbie to your books, FB, and Youtube... I am excited about being an almost empty nester and homemaker again. Thank you for the breath of fresh air and outlook on life. I'm motivated... especially about elevenses which I'm getting ready to start as a new way to meet my neighbors.

And BTW, you're spot on with in regards to social media... Love my FB, but make sure it doesn't take over my time during the day.

Keep up the great work.

Rani"

Thank you, Rani! I'm so happy you are enjoying the Madame Chic books and am excited for you to join us each week on the blog. I love to get to know people who discover our online community for the first time.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Mapp and Lucia book club. I will see you on Thursday for my next video.


Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

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Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Caldrea Sea Salt + Neroli | Natural Home with Jennifer

In today's Natural Home with Jennifer, I'm reviewing the luxury cleaning line, Caldrea - specifically their countertop and linen spray in sea salt neroli.



Caldrea's products are naturally derived and safe to use. They infuse aromatherapy into their catalogue of cleaning and home products. Sea salt neroli is arguably their most popular scent. It's a strong scent that lingers, so if you do not like fragrance in your cleaning products, you might not like this one. However, if you do like home fragrance, this scent is truly wonderful.

The sea salt neroli evokes memories of the Mediterranean shore. It's salty and citrusy and lovely.



Caldrea's Countertop Spray - Easy and hard working, this quick spray uses a special vegetable protein extract to make odors vanish from the kitchen or bath. Safe and effective on any non-porous surface including natural stone.

- Safe and effective on any non-porous surface including natural stone
- Contains vegetable protein extract, which is a natural odor neutralizer
- Free of Phthalates, Glycol Solvents, Chlorine, Formaldehyde, Artificial Colors
- Plant-derived ingredients

Caldrea sea salt neroli linen and room spray is free of artificial colors, parabens, animal derived ingredients, formaldehyde.

Freshen a room with Caldrea Sea Salt Neroli Linen and Room Spray. Mist laundry on the line, pre-iron or post-dryer. Wake up sheets, pillows and blankets. This versatile essential oil spray is safely used to create a signature scent everywhere or anywhere.

I like to use the linen spray on laundry, in the car, and specifically on our laundry basket that holds our kitchen cloths, which can quickly gain a bad odor. I spray shirts before ironing them. I also spray it in the air in conjunction with the countertop spray when I clean the kitchen. If I do this at night, the kitchen smells so good in the morning.

I have never seen Caldrea in a store (please let us know if you have), but you can find it online at Amazon. It is less expensive on Grove Collaborative, which is where I purchased mine.

Grove Collaborative always gives me great deals to share with new and existing customers and
Grove's August promotion is here!



New customers get the following for free when you spend $20
Mrs. Meyer's hand soap
Mrs. Meyer's dish soap
Mrs. Meyer's multi-surface spray
Grove hand sanitizer spray
Grove walnut scrubber sponges

Anyone who spends $39 with Grove will be receiving a Grove cleaning caddy automatically added to their cart.

Existing customers receive a free set of walnut scrubber sponges.

(valid while supplies last)

*With Grove you have the option to get your products by subscription, or turn off auto-shipments and place orders as needed.

I hope you enjoy today's review of Caldrea sea salt neroli. I would love to know... have you tried the Caldrea spray? Have you tried any of their other scents?

I'll see you on Monday for the Mapp and Lucia book club LIVE at 11am pacific time. Have a wonderful weekend!


Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

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FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. #grovepartner

3 Clutter-Clearing Tips | MADAME CHIC Method

I'm sharing three clutter-clearing tips, Madame Chic-style, in today's video.



This video is a collaboration with A Better Life with Flylady Kat, who has a wonderful YouTube channel that encourages viewers to keep on top of their homes. You can check out Kat's three clutter-clearing tips here.

I'm bringing it back-to-basics in today's video and discussing my first book, Lessons from Madame Chic.



Since living with Madame Chic and her family, I have derived my clutter-clearing methods from them. I was amazed that their home had no clutter. Ever! There was never a day when the side table got out-of-hand, or someone needed to sort through the pile of mail on the entryway desk. Random items didn't accumulate on the dining room table. When an object needed to be dealt with, it was dealt with swiftly and put away in its proper place. The Chic family led very disciplined lives and this is the foundation for living in a clutter-free home.

Here is the abridged version of my three clutter-clearing tips. For expanded thoughts on all of these topics, be sure to watch my video.

Clutter-clearing tip #1: Embrace structured and disciplined living. Clearing clutter is an on-going, everyday process. The main idea here is prevention. If you live a structured and disciplined life at home, you prevent clutter form even forming because everything is put away and dealt with properly. This tip is truly for every member of the household, not just the mother. Otherwise, mom will just be running around picking up after everyone and all will be frustrated.

Clutter-clearing tip #2: Manage your everyday items. This goes hand-in-hand with disciplined living. Our everyday items need a home and should never be put anywhere other than their place. Clear your cluttered cupboards and drawers to create room to place your everyday items.

Clutter-clearing tip #3: Enjoy keeping your home! If you enjoy keeping your home, you will relish taking care of it and not let it get out of hand. Of course, we all go through seasons of life where we will get behind on the housework (I share a story about this in today's video), but generally, if you can keep an exuberance and a joie de vivre with regard to housekeeping, you will be on top of the clutter situation.

News
The Mapp and Lucia book club Live Chat will be on Monday, August 6th 11am pacific time. Join me on YouTube to discuss the next two books in the series, Lucia in London and Mapp and Lucia. If you are unable to make the livestream, it will be available to watch as are the rest of my videos. If you would like to submit a comment for the live chat, leave one in the comment section below. I look forward to discussing E.F. Benson's book! "Au Reservoir!" :)

For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On the Debt-free course, Leigha writes, "I loved this course! I've taken notes and have already started implementing many of the ideas. I've really cleared out my closet of clutter, too. Thinking I may need to invest in the wardrobe course, as well. I hope that in the next year I will be able to make great strides in reducing my debt and becoming more financially free. I am also hoping to put more emphasis on people and experiences rather than things. Thanks, as always, for such a lovely series of videos. So inspirational! Now....I think I want to enjoy a hot cup of tea. :)"

Leigha, I'm so excited to see the changes that happen in your life. Please come back and update us on your progress. Thank you for taking my course!

On Instagram
Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic on Instagram...

Przerwa na kawę! ☕️ Książkę z całego serca polecam - jest ciepła, zabawna, lekka do czytania. Z pewnością nie wyczerpuje tematu, ale to dobry start dla początkujących dam (takich jak ja 😉). Pięknego dnia! Coffee break with lovely, funny and inspirating book #bookstagram #coffeetime #coffee #break #bookstagrammer #dailyconnoisseur #madamechic

A post shared by Ola (@sous_le_ciel_de_varsovie) on Jun 12, 2018 at 1:16am PDT

Comment of the Week
There were so many thought-provoking comments on Monday's blog and video on the Trouble with Social Media. I you haven't already read through some of the comments, it's worth doing! Lindsay wrote, "Thank you for this! I have been very disturbed by some of these same tendencies in myself. I mentally write social media posts as I'm taking photos. There have been events where I felt more excited to post about them and see the reactions and comments from people than I was about the actual event! I resist posting on holidays because I hate the idea of making people who are lonely on those days feel even worse. I can tell my mom how much I love her in person, so I don't do a mother's day post. I am trying to use it to connect with people I don't see often and remove the self-promotion aspect of it. But it's hard."

Lindsay, I love your honesty. Social media has changed the way we think. I've noticed it in myself and it's something I have to actively fight against. Thank you for sharing your comment with us!


Today, I would love to know... do you struggle with clutter? Do you have hot spots that accumulate clutter on a regular basis? What are your best clutter-clearing tips? Let us know in the comment section below and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on The Daily Connoisseur.

I'll see you tomorrow for an all new Natural Home with Jennifer.

Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter


FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

Mapp and Lucia Book Club Announcement

Hello Daily Connoisseurs,

Today I have a quick video announcement for you regarding The Mapp and Lucia book club. I will be doing a livestream on Monday, August 6th, 2018 at 11am PDT. I hope you will be able to join me to discuss the next two books in the series, LUCIA IN LONDON and MAPP AND LUCIA by E.F. Benson.



If you are unable to join the livestream, but would like to submit a question or comment, please leave your comment in the comment section below. I will do my best to address your questions. Don't worry, if you miss the livestream, you will still be able to watch it as a regular video.



If you would like to be notified when the livestream begins, make sure you're subscribed to my YouTube channel and click the "bell" for notifications. You will be emailed whenever I upload a new video or start a livestream.

I look forward to discussing the next two books in the series with you!

Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter


FTC: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.