Going Au Naturale

Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal

For a few years now I have questioned the health problems associated with deodorant/antiperspirant use (breast cancer, Alzheimer's, kidney disease, etc.).  Even though research hasn't definitively linked the two it just doesn't make sense to me to slather the chemicals found in deodorant/antiperspirant onto your skin.  Having said that, I wasn't willing to trade my deodorant for smelling a little too natural, if you know what I mean.  

A couple of weeks ago I ran out of deodorant and found myself reading labels in the deodorant aisle.  I came across this deodorant crystal and, for less than $4, thought I would give it a try (I did buy two packages of my "go to" deodorant just in case this crystal didn't work!).  What drew me to this crystal was not only the price but the ingredients:  Natural Mineral Salts and Aloe Vera.  That's it.  No extra junk.  I came home and researched it a bit and sure enough it got quite a few great reviews!

I have been using this crystal for a couple of weeks now and it really works!  Even when I'm working out I don't have a problem with odor.  The application is a bit strange, though...you wet it with tap water and then roll it on.  So far I have been very happy with it!

At 34 weeks pregnant I feel good knowing that the deodorant I'm using isn't harming my baby or me.  I'm also happy to have found this before baby arrives and breastfeeding begins!

PROS:

- Inexpensive (find it at Target, Walmart, amazon.com)

- No white residue

- Excellent ingredients

- It really works!

CONS:

- Have to moisten to apply it (may be a problem if not near a water source when applying it)

- It is a deodorant, not antiperspirant (I haven't had problems with this, though)

Hold it Right There

Garnier Fructis Flexible Control Anti-Humidity Hairspray

I was "blessed" with wavy, frizzy, curly hair that does not look like the beautiful, natural waves you see on celebrities and models everywhere these days.  Just to keep any sort of style in my unruly hair I have to use some sort of hairspray.  After years and years of searching for the right one who knew I would find it for $3 at the grocery store?  

I have tried the salon quality hairsprays like Sebastian, Biolage, Aveda, Alterna and Chi and I have tried the drugstore hairsprays like Tresemme, Pantene, Dove and L'Oreal.  Some things have worked better than others but overall there was nothing that I truly fell in love with and would buy again and again.  Some sprays were too heavy, some were too sticky, some didn't do anything at all...until I found this one, Garnier Fructis Flexible Control Anti-Humidity Hairspray.  Hallelujah, it works!  It sprays well, it coats evenly, it dries quickly and it truly gives a long-lasting flexible hold.  Now I buy 2 or 3 at a time to make sure I have back up when I run out!  I just love this stuff...and I love the price tag even more :)

The Quicker Picker Upper Holder

Perfect Tear Chrome Wall-Mount Paper Towel Holder

I bought this at Bed, Bath and Beyond when we first moved into our house in North Carolina and now that we are in a temporary apartment in Virginia I can honestly say I miss it :)  This little contraption installs quickly and securely and makes it easy to pull off one paper towel with just one hand.  It also mounts either upright or lengthwise (as shown in the picture) and can be screwed underneath a cabinet or on the side of a cabinet.  It will hold either a standard or an oversize paper towel roll.

My parents came for a visit and loved it so much that they purchased one when they returned home.  Unfortunately after a few weeks of use theirs didn't 'ratchet' anymore and it would spin freely which made the perfect tear feature non-functional.  I told my dad he should try to take it back to Bed, Bath and Beyond even though he didn't have the receipt and explain to them what happened.  BBB gladly exchanged the product for a new one, no questions asked.

For only $14.99 (or even less with that handy 20% off coupon) this is an easy and useful addition to your kitchen!

HG stands for Holy Grail

www.makeupalley.com

Obviously I like to research everything...usually before I buy, but sometimes after if it is more convenient. One thing I really can't stand is trying to pick out beauty products, shampoos, lotions, etc. without knowing anything about the product other than what the label says on the shelf. Years ago I discovered www.makeupalley.com and still frequent this site.

After creating an account you are able to do a number of things that I don't even know about...like access chat boards and other areas I have never looked into. The only tab I use is the "Product Reviews" tab. Here you are able to look up an item by brand name or product type (ex. bronzer). You can filter the results by highest rated or percentage of people who would buy the product again. The reviews are pretty thorough and I have found that, most of the time, I really like the products that get good reviews or those with a high percentage of people who would purchase the product again.

P.S. It took me a while to figure out what "HG" stood for...it means Holy Grail and is a product that someone absolutely loves. Happy researching!

Get the Word Out

Customizable Buttons at www.zazzle.com

When our three year old started preschool last year I was very concerned about snack time. She has a number of food allergies...some severe enough to cause a possible anaphylactic reaction. I knew I could discuss her dietary needs with her teacher but I worried about assistants, substitutes and other children giving her things that could be potentially harmful.  I started to search for ways to let everyone know about her allergies without asking her to wear a shirt that basically said, "please don't feed the Zoe". 

I found rubber bracelets but didn't think she would keep them on...I also didn't think people would check a bracelet since so many little girls often tend to wear random jewelry. I found medic alert style necklaces and charms but these weren't specific enough and didn't detail each allergen. I then remembered www.zazzle.com. Years before I ordered a few custom items from them (tshirts, stationery, stickers) for a variety of functions so I knew they must have something. After a little searching I found customizable buttons and thought they were perfect...I could pin it on her, it detailed her allergens, it would catch everyone's attention and the best part was that they were so cheap!

So $6 later I had ordered two buttons...one for her shirt and one for her backpack. I felt so much more comfortable sending her off to school with her buttons in place. I then started to think about how other people could use these buttons to pass any message along to their children's teachers, daycare workers, caregivers at the gym, etc. They could be used for consistent events like if your child needs to stay for after care every Tuesday then on Tuesdays they could wear a button reminding their teacher of that. Or if your child goes home with another family on Fridays then they could wear a button to remind their teacher. Or if you just wanted to put your name and phone number on your child when they go on field trips then this could work, too. The possibilities are endless!

A Good Scrub Down

Pinterest Idea:  Use This Handy Tool and Little Concoction to Clean Your Shower

A while back I pinned this idea on Pinterest because it just seemed to good, and easy, to be true.  We have all seen these brushes in the mop/sweeper/sponge aisle of any grocery store.  Here's what you do with it:

1.  Fill it halfway with vinegar
2.  Fill it halfway with Dawn liquid dishwashing soap
3.  Scrub your shower down while you are scrubbing yourself down
4.  Rinse (I highly recommend a handheld shower head for everyone...makes cleaning your tub a breeze!)

When I first tried this I didn't use Dawn because I didn't have any on hand.  Instead I used Kirkland brand dish soap from Costco.  It didn't come out of the sponge as well and didn't lather as well so I switched to Dawn and it has worked beautifully!  I love that the ingredients are mostly natural, no harsh chemical smell, and it's kind of fun to scrub the tile down.  I have even let my girls climb in when they are bored and give it a whirl...my 5 year old plays the role of Cinderella perfectly :)

I usually use it two or three times a week all over the tile and spot clean in between anywhere I see a little grime.  Another bonus is that the sponge end of this is replaceable so for a couple of bucks you can change it out when it gets worn or yucky.  As I said before, though, the handheld shower head is a must and whether you try this handy idea or not you should definitely invest in one if you haven't already...the world of cleaning bath tubs will be so much more enjoyable, if that's possible!

The Write Stuff

dafont.com


Before children (also known as 'BC' in our house) my husband and I loved to throw parties.  From Super Bowl gatherings to housewarmings to baby showers to bridal showers to birthday parties.  The first thing I focus on when planning a get together is the invitation, I feel this (and the cake) are two of the most important things to set the stage for the event.  We had a wonderful invitation store near our home in Dallas called 'Needle in a Haystack' that I would frequent for just the perfect invite for whatever function I was planning.  

In order to make my invitation selections look a little more custom I searched different sites for downloadable fonts.  Now, after almost ten years, I am still using dafont.com for all of our fun and new font needs.  While our party planning days have wound down a bit for the time being, I still use this website for the newsletter that I type for my children's preschool.  The fonts are free, fun and super easy to download.  So whether you are printing invitations or making lists for your household, notes for lunchboxes or love notes for your husband then check out this site for cute ways to make it unique!

Let's Talk Trash

Brabantia Brilliant Steel Touch Garbage Bin 13 Gallon

I never thought I could love a trash can...but I love this trash can. For a few years we had a knock off of this Brabantia but it was quite obviously not as well made and the trash bag would constantly slide down into the can. We bit the bullet and dropped almost $150 on this beauty. That was 8 years ago and, though I never dreamed I would spend that much on a trash can, I am so very glad we made the investment!

The can is large enough to fill every square inch of a trash bag and the design of the lid secures the bag in place without any slippage on the inside. The simple touch mechanism is very well made and the lid opens slowly but firmly.  We have had a couple of overzealous users (curious toddlers) who broke the latch but a phone call to Brabantia resulted in replacement parts being quickly mailed out for no cost to us at all. Brabantia not only makes a beautiful, functional product but they stand by their product, no questions asked...something almost unheard of these days!

We have truly enjoyed this trash can (crazy, I know!) and we get compliments on it from guests and our children's friends alike! When we first purchased it my parents thought we had lost our mind for spending that much on a trash can...now, 8 years later, my parents were visiting for a week and my dad commented on it "being the best trash can ever". Coming from my somewhat frugal, ever skeptical father that is a huge compliment :)

I'm sure there are a number of online retailers where you can find deals on this garbage bin but we picked ours up at Bed, Bath and Beyond using a 20% off coupon. Check it out...it will make your life complete :)

Urban Decoy

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips...Urban Decay Naked Palette knock off :)

I had my eye on the Urban Decay eyeshadow palette for a while until I saw a pin on Pinterest about this eyeshadow. I went to Ulta to check it out and it just so happened to be on sale...buy one Physicians Formula palette for $10, get the second for $5. This was a much better value than the Urban Decay set! I purchased the palette for Brown Eyes and the one for Smoky Brown Eyes.

Each palette has three trios of shadow with directions for application on the back of the package. The three descriptors for the shadow application are Natural, Playful and Dramatic and it details the way to apply the shadow to achieve the look you want.

I love the way the colors glide on and stay on. The applicator that comes with it is OK, I prefer to use my own brushes, though. I also like how much smaller it is than the Urban Decay palette, this makes it easy to pack for travel!  I may have to check out the Physicians Formula Universal Looks eyeshadow palette for Nude Eyes to make my eyeshadow collection complete!

Return to Sender

Expressionery.com Personalized Stamps and Embossers

I was first introduced to personalized embossers about ten years ago when my husband and I got married. The grandmother of a very good friend of mine used a personalized embosser for the return address of her correspondence.  She would stamp the back flap of her envelopes using this tool and I loved the look of the tone on tone, raised letters. The embosser made thank you cards and Christmas cards so elegant and classy, just like the beautiful woman who used them (she was affectionately named Bawmy and everyone who knew her called her by this cute name).  

About a year after I purchased our first embosser we moved to a new residence. I decided that I wouldn't buy another embosser just yet and went with a convenient personalized stamp. The stamp is a bit easier to use than the embosser, which requires a little more muscle, and is a bit more simple for all mailings such as bills and other less personal correspondence.

When researching where to purchase embossers I ended up buying mine at NeimanMarcus.com for a reasonable price of about $25. I then found expressionery.com which is where I purchased our first of many personalized stamps (we have moved a few times!). The great thing about expressionery.com is the deals you can get. Not only are their products great quality they have the following promotions going on right now:

25% to 40% off Custom Stamps (the code is NEWSTAMP); Read the fine print for details
8.5% cash back through Ebates.com

Combined the discount can be as much as almost 50% which is a great deal on something you will enjoy for many years of birthday cards, thank you notes and Christmas cards to come.

Both the embosser and the stamp make perfect engagement, wedding, housewarming, birthday and Christmas gifts!

This Little Piggy

'Fishnet Stockings' by Essie

Since college I have been a huge fan of the pedicure.  I'm about as good at painting my own nails as my five year old daughter is...the skin around my nails gets almost as much polish on it as the nail does.  Before children when time and money were both easier to come by I would get a pedicure pretty regularly, at least every two weeks if not more often.  The frequency of these polish changes meant I really never had to buy my own polish but as time went on, the kids came, finances got more tight and the first thing to go was this little luxury.

It is now January and I can't remember the last time I had my piggies painted by someone who actually knew what they were doing.  A couple of weeks ago my girls and I were strolling the aisles of Target when we came across the make-up section.  There was a display of 'Hello Kitty' items that my 3 year old was drooling over right next to a row of Essie nail polishes.  I thought I would treat myself to a new color since it has been years since I bought a bottle of nail polish.  My husband loves red so I narrowed it down pretty quickly and thought the name 'Fishnet Stockings' was cute and fun so, $8 later, we were on our way home.

I have worn Essie nail polish a number of times in the past but have stuck to their pale pinks and whites since they stay on so well and are beautifully opaque.  This polish, however, did not disappoint.  It went on smoothly as does all Essie polish but the color was such a rich, red, red...I love it!  If you are looking for a true red polish then look no further.  I may even have to take this little find along with me the next time I do get a pedicure!