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With nontraditional remedies on the rise, you may have already heard about the many wonderful health benefits of turmeric. Turmeric is the golden root spice that gives yellow curries their color, and has been used by Indian and East Asian cultures for its medicinal benefits for over one thousand years. This herb has a range of healing properties, from being a natural anti-inflammatory to aiding with digestion to mitigating side effects of allergies or the common cold.Recently, many health conscious individuals and establishments have been making what they call “Golden Milk,” which is a turmeric based milk beverage. It bears striking resemblance to an ancient Indian remedy called “Haldi Doodh.” Haldi Doodh is traditionally prepared with milk, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne, ginger, cardamom, and honey, though ingredients can be omitted or swapped out depending on the health benefits you’re attempting to reap (for instance, turmeric in combination with honey aids with digestion).As a half-Indian woman, I’m delighted to see home remedies I grew up with gaining popularity, so I created my own spin off of Haldi Doodh. To do this, I combined one of my Auntie’s recipes for Haldi Doodh with some inspiration I pulled from a few different restaurants and blogs embracing the “Golden Milk” trend. Note that I use almond milk for mine (and if you take out the honey it’s totally vegan friendly!) but traditional Haldi Doodh calls for regular milk because fat helps the body process turmeric’s many wonderful benefits. Feel free to use whatever milk you like best, I just picked almond because I like the way the nuttiness combines with the spices.
To make my Turmeric Milk you will need:Almond Milk – 1¼ cup: I use Califia brand because I think it’s the creamiest! I prefer unsweetened, but I bet vanilla would taste amazingTurmeric – 1 TSP or 1 inch piece of root: Turmeric root works best, but if you only have Turmeric powder, that’s great too!Black Pepper, fresh ground – pinch : It sounds odd, but this is important as black pepper helps your body and bloodstream absorb the turmericGreen Cardamom - 1 pod: I use this in place of ginger because I don’t care for the taste of ginger, but it has similar perks in that it aids with digestion, heartburn, and nausea.Cinnamon – pinch: This isn’t used in traditional Haldi Doodh, but I love the way it tastes and it’s good for your blood sugar.Honey – 1 TBSP or to taste: This also aids with digestion, though I’ve seen some bloggers swap it out for blackstrap molasses for its iron and magnesium content.Cayenne Pepper - pinch: Another anti irritant, you can skip this if you want a milder version*Ginger – ½ TSP or ½ inch piece of root: traditional Haldi Doodh contains ginger, but I don’t care for ginger so I use more cardamom and cinnamon. If you like ginger, feel free to add some in! This also works best in root form.Combine all your ingredients but the honey and the cinnamon in a small saucepan. If you are using turmeric and/or ginger roots for your recipe, you will need to grate them and strain the milk. If, like me, you are just using powders, you do not need to strain.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, making sure to stir or whisk it regularly, until it starts to bubble. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, and stir in your honey until it dissolves completely. Let the mixture sit over low heat for about three minutes. When you’re ready, pour it into a mug and top with cinnamon. Remove the cardamom pod before drinking, if you used one.
Depending on the day, you can adjust the recipe to taste or for health benefits, but I tend to work off of this basic recipe and modify the amounts at will.So there you have it, the best parts of chai and hot chocolate all rolled into one nutrient packed drink. Try making this to ease you through the end of the chilly seasons—not only will it keep you healthy, but also it’s the perfect drink to cozy up with.
xo,
~Serena -
If we've been friends for a while, you might have heard about our newest in house collection to celebrate our big rebranding. If we're newer acquaintances, we're here to give you all the details.
The long and short of it is that when we opened almost ten years ago (!!!) we chose our name to fit the adorable 400 sq. foot loft in which we launched the business. We never could have anticipated that less than a decade later, we'd outgrow not only the loft, but also our name. Now that Ooh La Luxe includes two stores and a thriving online business, it only seems fitting to update our brand to reflect not only our growth, but also our aesthetic.
Now comes the fun part: in honor of this momentous change, we decided to celebrate in style (duh) by launching a whole new collection for you to fall in love with. These ten pieces were handpicked by our stylists with you in mind, and we can't wait to see what you think! Preview our LUXE collection below, and get your hands on it in stores/online on February 14th:As you can see, we cultivated this collection to be stylish and versatile--our Luxe collection pairs perfectly with itself, and with your other favorite wardrobe staples! Stay tuned for more handpicked pieces to come.
Happy Styling Ladies!
~Serena -
Over the knee boots have made a major comeback this season. While this super cute style can be a wardrobe staple, it can be tricky to figure out just how to nail the trend. When customers try on OTK boots in store, the number one response I get is "they look really cute...but how do I wear them?" So, if you've ever thought OTK boots just aren't for you, or you have a pair but you've struggled to find the right outfit, or even if you just want some outfit inspo for other ways to rock your boots, this post is for you. Here's just a few of the ways to wear over the knee boots:
1. With a mini dress
For a casual daytime look, pair your boots with a printed dress--I love offsetting the edginess of a bold OTK boot with the softness of a floral dress.
For more of a going out look, OTK boots look phenomenal with a sexy, solid colored dress and a choker.
2. With leggings and a chunky sweater
You know those days when you reallllyyy don't wanna try, but you have to look like you tried? Put on leggings, your favorite oversized sweater, and over the knee boots for a look that says "I'm trendy, but I'm too cool to care." Tousled hair and a matte lip ties the whole look together.
3. With jeans and a casual top
Over the knee boots are also a perfect option for class, business casual, or an afternoon out. Skinnies in any color look great with OTK boots. On top, wear a thermal or a v neck (add a vest if it's chilly!) and you'll look polished and put together in no time. To switch seamlessly from day to night, trade your t shirt or thermal out for a cold shoulder top.
4. With shorts, a well fitting top, and a long jacket or flannel
This look is bold, flirty, and just the right amount of sexy. It may seem like a lot going on, but the function of the flannel or jacket is to balance out the look. Try this for an evening out in a big city and you'll be sure to turn heads on the streets.
5. With a tunic/sweater dress and tights (or not)
You know those tunics and sweater dresses that are just on the borderline of being too short to be a dress? Pair it with opaque tights and your OTK boots and you're good to go!
For a slightly more daring look, swap out the tights for shorts. The boots going over your knees will balance out the amount of leg showing.
6. With an oversized sweatshirt and virtually nothing else, apparently...
I mean, the Kardashians/Jenners are doing it...
Happy Styling Ladies!
~Serena
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If you're reading this, you're probably familiar with Ooh La Loft as a women's clothing boutique whether it be through in store purchases or our online store. But how much do you really know about your favorite store?
Did You Know...
Ooh La Loft was founded in 2008 in Petaluma, California: Twin sisters Cristina and Michelle Wilson started Ooh La Loft immediately after graduating from Sonoma State University. But Ooh La Loft wasn't the first business endeavor for the Wilson twins--they were able to open Ooh La Loft with the profits from a successful drive through coffee business they owned and ran in college.
Our original space was a 400 square foot loft--hence the name: We originally opened in downtown Petaluma in a loft on top of another business, but it only took a year for us to outgrow that space and move into our roomy location on Petaluma Blvd. North.
We have a location in the Santa Rosa Plaza Mall: In 2013, we expanded to a second store in Santa Rosa. Our Santa Rosa location is downstairs in the Plaza Mall across from Starbucks and next to Lush, so grab a coffee and some all natural beauty products and swing by to check us out.
Your online orders are hand fulfilled by our team: The only computerized part of our online store is the actual system you order on. After that, your order is reviewed, processed, packaged, and shipped by human hands. That way, we can offer each customer more individual care than if our entire system were automated.
We are launching a new brand called Ooh La Luxe: For our longtime shoppers, you may be familiar with our clothing lines Ooh La Loft brand and Olympia Elizabeth. We are planning to add a third brand to our family of original clothing lines called Ooh La Luxe! Keep your eyes peeled for updates in the next few months.
We carry approximately 70% American made brands: As a small business, supporting the local economy is important to us! We proudly carry mostly American made clothing, in addition to carrying pieces from Sonoma County and Bay Area based artists and designers. Whether it's the county, state, or national economy, keeping it close to home is a staple of our business.
Our Petaluma location buys your gently used clothes: On Mondays from 11-5:30, our Petaluma store does buy backs of previously loved clothing that fits our store aesthetic. We buy outright for 35% in cash or 50% in store credit. Personally, I love the store credit option because it feels like trading out my clothes and having a constantly rotating wardrobe!
We offer free wardrobe styling--with a discount!: Have a special event coming up and wanna look fabulous? Or maybe you just need a fresh update to your look? Both of our locations happily offer wardrobe styling free of charge, by appointment. Plus, anything you buy as a result of your styling appointment will be discounted at 20% off. Need we say more?
We are all women owned, run, and operated: Ooh La Loft has an all female team, down to our awesome accountant, Tiffany. Business has been a male dominated field as long as it has existed, but we have proudly had a business run entirely by women, for women, since our inception almost 10 years ago.
While Ooh La Loft has grown and expanded over the past few years, we still very much identify as a small business and want to continue to offer our customers the boutique feel no matter how big we get! Whether you're shopping in store, online, or by phone, remember that when you're shopping with Ooh La Loft, you're supporting a local business.
Happy Styling Ladies!
~Serena
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Never before have there been so many cute, chic, and downright sexy romper bohemian clothing options for fashion lovers. With a variety of fun and funky prints, cool cut-outs, and flattering designs, there's a romper for every bohemian clothes fan.
Whether you've never braved this one-piece style before or need a refresher on why the romper should make its way back into your clothing rotation, here are five reasons why this style is so hot in bohemian clothing stores right now and is sure to be for many seasons to come.
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