As we approach another follower milestone on Twitter, we’d like to continue our tradition and reward the 700th follower – and the person that refers them to us – with something nice. This time it’s another personal favourite of mine. Ever since we got this natural body care range in I’ve been a massive fan, using it daily since day one. So I want to give you a sample of how good JASON natural shampoo and conditioner is, by letting you take away the fragrance of you choice, for free.

This is an effective, environmentally-friendly alternative to mass-produced, synthetic chemical products. Since 1959, JASON has strived to produce only pure, carefully balanced products that contain the highest quality, naturally sourced ingredients, known to be skin compatible and proven effective. Their products contain the finest food-grade, natural, organic and nutritional ingredients that deliver topical benefits to the hair and skin.

Previous winners include James Holden and the Culture Vulture for our 600th follower, Katie and Elle for our 500th follower, Kev Charlton and Emma Croxall for our 400th follower, Alex Duffy and Harriet Jennings for our 300th follower and Phil Kirby and Kevin Hoare for our 200th follower.

It only seems like a month ago that we were handing out Hot Chocolate On a Stick to Katie and Elle in celebration of our 500th follower. But as we approach another follower milestone on Twitter, we’d like to continue our tradition and reward the 600th follower – and the person that refers them to us – with something nice. This month it’s one of my personal favourites and one of our most popular products. The Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil from Burt’s Bees.

Burt’s Bees Natural Pomegranate lip balm contains 100% natural ingredients for a truly moisturising experience. Replenishing and conditioning, this beautiful balm contains rich oils to help your lips look healthy and hydrated. Packed with antioxidants, this natural pomegranate lip balm coats lips with a subtle rosy hue, for truly luscious-looking lips.

Previous winners include Katie and Elle for our 500th follower, Kev Charlton and Emma Croxall for our 400th follower, Alex Duffy and Harriet Jennings for our 300th follower and Phil Kirby and Kevin Hoare for our 200th follower.

Must be collected by the winners!

As we approach another follower milestone on Twitter, we’d like to continue our tradition and reward the 500th follower – and the person that refers them to us – with something nice. And what better than my new favourite product, the Hot Chocolate on a Stick from Choc-Affair.

We’ll even warm some milk up for you – or you can just take it away for a late night treat.

Previous winners include Kev Charlton and Emma Croxall for our 400th follower, Alex Duffy and Harriet Jennings for our 300th follower and Phil Kirby and Kevin Hoare for our 200th follower.

Must be collected by the winners!

Yes we can’t believe it either… it’s been a year since we first opened our doors in Leeds! In a very difficult economic climate many people thought we were mad opening what we see as a local/fresh foods/deli/natural bodycare/health food store – I don’t know what to call us really?! But with the support from the Leeds locals our first year has flown by. To thank you in helping us in this busy year we would like to invite you to our first birthday party!

Venue: Millies Fresh and Organic, 109 Vicar Lane, Leeds, LS1 6PJ (map).
Date and Time: Thursday 17th December 4pm – 7pm.

We will be drawing a raffle on the evening with the prize being a Millies Hamper. Tickets will be sold all week in store and the money raised will be going to the Breast Cancer Haven.

We will also be offering a 10% discount on all hampers either purchased or ordered on the night and every visitor will also receive a free gift bag on arrival.

Our new local farmers Dean and Angela Hullah from Tancred Farm, Whixley will be there to answer any questions you have on who they are, about their animals and how they run their farm.

Mark Boland, Solgar’s nutritional adviser will be on hand to give out advice on how to beat the winter colds or any other aliments you may have.

Beauty expert Becki, representative for Jasons, Giovanni and Elysambre make up will be promoting those last minute Christmas ideas for all the family!

And of course I’m sure there will be some birthday cake!

Natalie and family

We finally got to meet the lovely Katie from Leeds Grub in person when she called round to collect a hamper we had made up for her. She requested a Yorkshire themed hamper with lots of goodies in and blogged about it on her site:

Millies stock a great selection of locally produced gourmet items such as cheese, fresh bread and preserves. They also make delicious home made cakes, mince pies and biscuits. As well as range of pre made Christmas hampers, they will also for a small fee package up any purchases in a lovely presentation basket.

This huge Yorkshire themed hamper put together for me by Millies came to just £50 and contained the following: 2 jars of Bracken Hill chutney, 2 truckles of Yorkshire cheese, soup, chocolate, porcini mushroom crackers, home made mince pies, ginger biscuits and fruit cake, fresh bread, Yorkshire Tea, Taylors Christmas Coffee, a Christmas pudding, a bar of natural soap, mulled wine spice, and a bottle of Yorkshire punch.

We have a range of hampers to suit everyone on any budget, including fine food hampers, made to order cheese hampers and bodycare hampers. All can be made up for you or personalised. Please view our our Christmas Gift Hamper pages for more information.

I popped into Millies today to pick up some items for lunch. Millies won the Leeds Guide take away awards 2009 and I was interested to see why.

Millies is an interesting mix between health food store, farmers market and gourmet deli. I wondered through the shelves looking at the assortment of organic produce, dried whole foods, herbal teas, and fair trade cosmetics.

At the back of the store I found the take away counter. There was a delicious looking selection of sandwich fillings, cakes and pies. I chose a pork pie made locally by Paxton’s. It was very reasonably priced at 99p and completely yummy.

I then moved on to the cheese counter. There was a good selection of cheeses, both from the region and from further afield. I also noticed that there were free range eggs, including duck eggs and freshly made bread and scones for sale.

This is not a traditional take away, but I can see why it has won awards with its fresh, tasty looking soups and sandwiches, perfect for a healthier lunch on the go and to pick up other tasty treats and supplies.

Millies Fresh and Organic
*Fresh local produce
*Organic and whole food staples
*Deli counter and take away

More excellent reviews on all things food in and around Leeds available on Leeds Grub.

Previous winners include whatalexthinks and harrietjennings for our 300th follower and philkirby and kevin_hoare for our 200th follower.

Cake and coffee must be collected by the winners!

Each toe has a little jewel on and my big toes have nail art. Should be getting a manicure on Friday ready for a Halloween party!

Women who use make-up on a daily basis are absorbing almost 5lb of chemicals a year into their bodies, it is claimed.

Many use more than 20 different beauty products a day striving to look their best while nine out of 10 apply make-up which is past its use by date.

Dependence on cosmetics and toiletries means that a cocktail of 4lb 6oz of chemicals a year is absorbed into the body through the skin.

Some synthetic compounds involved have been linked to side effects ranging from skin irritation to premature ageing and cancer.

Richard Bence, a biochemist who has spent three years researching conventional products, said: “We really need to start questioning the products we are putting on our skin and not just assume that the chemicals in them are safe”.

“We have no idea what these chemicals do when they are mixed together, the effect could be much greater than the sum of the individual parts.” Mr Bence, an advocate of organic beauty products, believes that absorbing chemicals through the skin in more dangerous than swallowing them.

He said: “If lipstick gets into your mouth it is broken down by the enzymes in saliva and in the stomach. But chemicals get straight into your bloodstream, there is no protection.”

Warnings over using out-of-date lipstick and mascara have also been issued by the Royal College of Optometrists which believes such items are a “hothouse” for harmful bacteria.

Clio Turton, of the Soil Association, said: “Many women are using over 20 different products a day, bombarding themselves with hundreds of different chemicals. They should be asking themselves ‘is that eyelash conditioner really essential?’ ”

Among chemicals under scrutiny are parabens (para-hydroxybenzoic acids) which are preservatives used in products including soap, shampoo, deodorant and baby lotion. Traces of parabens have been found in breast tumour samples, although its link to the development of the cancer is disputed.

Body absorbs 5lb of make-up chemicals a year.

Our staff are on hand for free advice on our entire range of natural and organic body care products and make-up, including Dr Hauschka, JASON, Elysambre, Barefoot Botanical, Burts Bees and more.

Leeds Guide, Wed 21 Jan-Thu 5 Feb 2009:

Having recently opened a big new store on Vicar Lane, Millies Fresh & Organic are one of Leeds’ foremost providers of, surprisingly enough, fresh, organic and locally sourced foods. Their shelves are stacked with health foods, herbal teas, and they even have a therapy room. We’re not interested in that though. What we were loving was their takeaway sandwiches, cakes, soups and buns. It might not be your traditional takeaway, but swear you can actually feel some of that stuff doing you good. They were kind enough to send over a variety of sandwiches (including their New Yorker – steak, cheese and onions – which has become an office staple ever since) a few cakes and even some pumpkin soup.

Our Favourite Dish
Their pork, turkey and stuffing pie. At least two of our judges agreed that it was “the best thing they had ever put in their mouth”. High praise indeed.

Overall winner:
Topping our poll (probably thanks to that aforementioned pork pie) was Millies and their sandwich, pie, soup and cake combo. A healthier alternative to take-aways, and thoroughly tasty to boot. We spoke to owner Geoff about his victory.

How do you feel about winning?
I’m delighted! We’re a family business, very much driven by customer service, and want to provide the best of everything – every product we use is the best we can find: meat from our local farmers, bread from our local bakers, and so on.

Why should we go organic?
Organic, locally-sourced food is the way of the future. We’re about helping to save the environment, supporting local businesses and providing a means for people to buy affordable, healthier, tastier food.

Why do you think your company won?
Fresh, organic food tastes better. We cooked the meat that we served in the takeaway ourselves – everything we use in a takeaway is from our store, so you know exactly where it’s come from and that it’s good quality.

How does your business fit in with the city of Leeds as a whole?
City centres in general have suffered a decline in independent food stores. We wanted to provide Leeds with a store the like of which isn’t widely available in the North. Everything that we use in store is the best we can find.