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 :)
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!
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!
'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!
