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This Mother's Day remember to treat your Mum to all things that make her happy.

After all, she's spent many years caring for you - tending your skinned knees, wiping your tears, and cheering you on. Call, send flowers, make a card - and if you're lucky enough to live close by, perhaps you'll invite her over for brunch or an old fashioned tea party. We've been busy in our kitchens testing and sampling new recipes for the occasion. And just to be thorough in the process, we sat down with a few cups of tea and ran a taste test to be completely sure that our vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free baking would be just the right fit for teatime.

Here are two of our favorites:

Lemon Poppyseed Loaf

A comforting classic, this recipe was originally for 12 muffins, but it works equally as well as a loaf. It also has a blend of flours, which makes a big difference in gluten-free baking. Not a fan of maple syrup? You can substitute agave nectar or concentrated pear juice for the syrup. It will change the flavor slightly - the nectar and juice will result in sweeter muffins or loaf. The recipe is from Flying Apron's Gluten-free and Vegan Baking Book, by Jennifer Katzinger (published by Sasquatch Books). If you're vegan, gluten-free, or both, it's an incredible resource full of tasty recipes. Highly recommended.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 3/4 cup garban...

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We have some amazing working moms at LUSH, we appreciate and respect their dedication and contributions at work, knowing that everyday they have to go home and give that same energy and enthusiasm to their kids.

If their creativity and hard work at home is anything like what they bring to the table at work, we can only imagine what powerful children they are raising! We asked a few moms what its like being a mom and working for LUSH.

Erika Edwards from Marketing and Charitable Givings in Vancouver says, “Being part of the LUSH family, and being a Mom works well because there is understanding and support from co-workers and management that you have Mom responsibilities outside of work that are important, and having a work/life balance is encouraged.”

That’s great to hear from our Head Office employees; but LUSH has mom employees across North America, many of whom travel extensively in their roles. Ginny Stanley from the Retail Support Team based in Chicago agrees with Erika, “Being a mom and being a LUSH employee are a great combination because LUSH doesn't make me choose between being a good mom and being a good employee. They make it easy to devote the time I need to my family”. Even with her travel schedule, Ginny is able to work around her families needs and ...

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“My goal is to stop the fur trade in Canada by the time I’m 20.”

11-year-old Jasmine Polsinelli has set an aggressive goal, but her dedication to animal rights makes it clear that she intends to accomplish it. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jasmine about her animal protection efforts when we called her at home in Oshawa, Ontario on an April afternoon. She had prepared answers to my questions before our discussion and bashfully warned me that she may mix up her words… though when we began chatting, I found her answers weren’t from a well-rehearsed script, but from the heart of an enthusiastic and intelligent individual with a remarkable love of animals.

Left: Jasmine with one of her family dogs, Right: Jasmine holding up a Fur Bearer Defenders T-shirt

We first became acquainted with Jasmine during our Canadian “Fur Trim is a Trap” campaign in which we partnered with The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals. Our joint efforts raised awareness about the cruelty behind trapping animals for their fur and resulted in 5000 signed postcards that appealed to Dani Reiss, President and CEO of Canada Goose, to stop supporting the industry by using coyote fur on the company’s jackets. The jackets are quickly becoming an icon of Canadian fashion, and by extension we’re seeing an unfortunate resurgence in the popularity of fur for fashion.

Jasmine bravely volunteered to personally hand-deliver the postcards- she was inspired by the thousands of individuals who, after l...

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Where would your imagination take a bath?  What LUSH products would it use? 

When we let ours wander, they naturally head on-line, especially to the great virtual playground Pinterest. Did you know LUSH is on there? Our board for Dream Bathrooms is where our favorite fantasy settings abound. Countless gorgeous bathrooms exist out there - here are five that make our water run hotter:

             photo credit: http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2011/05/clear-tub53011_01.jpg

LUSH baths are anything but boring, and most of them are brightly colored extravaganzas. Some are filled with flower petals, and Big Blue contains arame seaweed. Oh, the fun we’d have enjoying the colors both in and outside this tub! We'd love to see a glass tub like this next to a giant aquarium to indulge our inner mermaids just a little bit more.  

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Fresh herbs are used every day in LUSH kitchens.

Whole bundles of herbs are inspected and prepared by our compounders for each batch they make of anything calling for an “infusion” or “decoction”. As well, they pour into our mixtures delicate essential oils from herbs and plant material gathered from across the globe. We start with material from nature, and rely on our vast knowledge about herbal medicine, aromatherapy and horticulture. Best-selling products like Angels On Bare Skin, New Shampoo Bar, and the entire FRESH Face Mask range just the start of the products that brim with herbal infusions, powders, essential oils, and sometimes, a flower too. Taking inspiration from these and other LUSH products, you can easily till your own herb garden before spring is over--and enjoy all the benefits these useful friends can offer. 

 Gardening--whether outside or deskside--is a great way to connect with nature. ...