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Heather Morgan Shott, VERT's resident food and wine expert, spends her days managing five online food resources, including dinnertime lifeline mixingbowl.com, for the Better Homes & Gardens Network. To stay fresh and stress-free, she relies on recipes of a different kind—and suggests busy brides do the same. These natural remedies are perfect for pre-wedding pampering. |
By forgoing a pricey trip to the spa for an at-home spa treatment featuring fruits, veggies and herbs, you can save money and support local growers. Plus, that gorgeous glow you sport on your wedding day won't be the product of noxious chemicals. Start off by making a trip to your local farmers market for seasonal gems that can do wonders for your hair, skin and nails. (If you've got a green thumb, grow your own herbs on your patio, terrace or even fire escape instead of buying them.) The natural fruit enzymes in strawberries, for example, make a great exfoliant. The fatty acids in avocados make a rich moisturizer for your hair, while the vitamin C and E in blueberries fend off fine lines caused by the sun. Fill up a canvas tote with your goodies and head home for a luxe spa day. Not up for pampering alone? Eschew the traditional bar-hopping bachelorette party and have a Zen-like spa day with friends instead. Invite your closest gal pals over, mix up several treatments and pamper yourself for pennies. As a party favor, reprint the spa recipes on recycled paper and make little booklets for each guest using a holepunch and pretty ribbon.
